May 5, 2007

Box Score

FINDLAY, Ohio - Steve Grife came within one out of a perfect game in a win that clinched a spot in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships and gave the Lakers a sweep of the doubleheader against Findlay. The Lakers won game one 7-3 in eight innings before Grife's gem resulted in a 1-0 victory.

Game One
Mercyhurst scored four times in the top of the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie.

An RBI single by John Blike proved to be the difference, but the Lakers tacked on three more insurance runs in the frame. After pinch runner Adam Stewart crossed the plate on Blike's base hit, catcher Sean Weyant followed with a two-run double that brought in Joe Luli and Blike. The next batter, second baseman Adam Gray, finished the scoring with a hit to right center that scored Weyant.

Mercyhurst trailed 3-2 until David Lough scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning.

Findlay jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a single run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Lakers added runs in the second and third for a 2-1 advantage. Luli scored on a balk in the second to tie the game, then Lough drove in Jamie Walczak in the third with a single to right.

The Oilers would reclaim the lead in the bottom of the fifth. A sacrifice fly by Ben Shelton tied things at 2-2 and Brian Sampsel's single down the left field line gave Findlay the lead.

James Ludwig picked up win in relief. He pitched the final three innings and improved to 4-0 by scattering three hits and three walks. He struck out three.

Brian Chad started the game for Mercyhurst. He pitched the first five innings, allowing three runs - two earned - on eight hits and a walk. The lefty fanned four.

Brett Bostleman fell to 5-4 for the Oilers. He pitched the first five innings and allowed five runs, four of which were earned. He surrendered six hits and a walk, while fanning six. Josh Barney allowed the final two runs in one inning of work and allowed two inherited runners to score.

Walczak was 2-for-4, doubled, scored once and stole a pair of bases. Lough was also 2-for-4, scored a run, drove in another and had one steal.

George Rohan went 3-for-4, had two steals and scored twice for Findlay.

Game Two
Steve Grife retired the first 20 batters he faced before a single by Brian Sampsel broke up the redshirt freshman's bid at perfection.

Jamie Walczak's RBI single in the fifth proved to be all the scoring the Lakers would need to pick up the sweep.

With Mercyhurst ahead by only one run, Sampsel singled and pinch runner Shane Wilburn stole second base gave the Oilers the tying run on second. After the next batter, clean up hitter Chad Guey worked the count full, Grife got him to fly out to center field to end the game.

Grife struck out five in the game, and in three starts has allowed just nine hits and three walks in 19 innings, without giving up a run. He improved to 4-2 on the year.

Trey Bennett, Walczak and John Blike had two hits apiece for Mercyhurst. Adam Gray scored the game's only run.

The win also clinched the fourth and final GLIAC playoff spot for Mercyhurst. Regardless of the outcomes of Sunday's contests, Mercyhurst will finish with a higher winning percentage than fifth-place Wayne State.

The win was the Lakers' 30th of the season, giving the program back-to-back 30 win seasons for the first time since the 1996 and 1997 teams pulled the feat.

Mercyhurst (30-17, 16-10 GLIAC) and Findlay (22-24, 13-15 GLIAC) conclude the weekend series with a twinbill on Sunday (May 6) at noon.