Hurst baseball plays a four game matchup

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RayLynn Chraston, Staff writer

On Friday April 23 and Saturday April 24, the Mercyhurst Baseball team had a 4 game matchup with Seton Hill. The first matchup of PSAC West Powerhouses the Lakers split their Friday doubleheader against No. 7 Seton Hill. During the first game, the Lakers took the win 7-6, while in the second they fell short of the win with the final score being 4-2.

To open the first game on Saturday, the Griffins struck first when they were able to execute a run, off of a SAC Fly with the bases loaded. The Griffins would then add three more runs in the third inning to make the score 4-0 after two and a half innings. The Lakers were able to come to the plate after two outs to open up the inning. Troy Banks, #2 a Redshirt Junior, was able to draw a walk during the inning to keep It going. Next up was Jack Elliott, #21 a Senior, ripped the ball to right center. Banks used his speed and was determined to make it to third, after he made it there the third base coach, Charlie Spano, waved him on, so Banks ran safely into home to make the score 4-1. However, the Griffins soon made the score a 4-run lead again after a homerun was made making the new score 5-1.

In the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Lakers were able to make a comeback. Josh Surowiec, Tyler Zaluski, and Matthew Gibson were all able to make it to home plate, making the score 5-4, with Seton Hill still in the lead after the four innings. No runs were scored during the fifth inning, but in the sixth the Griffins were able to gain another run. The lakers came to the plate at the bottom of the seventh, and what brought the Lakers to victory was Surowiec’s  second walkoff homer of the season. This brought the Final score to 7-6.

Vincenzo Lucente, #18 a Graduate Student, got the ball in game for the lakers and went four strong innings allowing just one run on two hits while gaining five strikeouts. The griffins were able to get onto the board first in the top of the third inning, to take the lead of 1-0. The Lakers answered back when Luke Jackson hit a homer over the fence in the bottom of the third. Soon after, Elliott was able to make a second run for the Lakers. In the seventh the Griffins were able to push their fourth run across to extend the lead to two. The final score of the second game ended with a loss for the Lakers, being 4-2.

For the next doubleheader, the Lakers traveled to Greenburg to take on Seton Hill. The lakers fell by scores of 6-4 and 5-4 against the No.7 ranked Griffins. During the first game, the Lakers were able to strike first in the top of the second inning as they were able to get the bases loaded, which led to Surowiec getting a run. Seton Hill then responded back in the bottom the inning making two runs of their own.

The lakers were able to take back their lead in the top of the third as Surowiec hit his second three run homer of the weekend. The score was now 4-2. Seton Hill scored three more runs in the fifth and was able to add another in the sixth. Mercyhurst was unable to make a come back leaving the final score 6-4 with the Griffins take the win.

The last game of the 4 game matchup between Seton Hill and Mercyhurst, ended in a loss for the Lakers. The Griffins were able to take an early lead in the second inning. While in the third, they were able to score again before taking a 4-0 lead in the third. The Lakers comeback started in the fourth inning, when they were able to put a run on the board. In the sixth inning, Zaluski homered in his return to Seton Hill which drove in Ferranti to make the score 5-3. In the seventh the Lakers were able to tally one last run, finishing the game with Seton Hill taking the victory of 5-4.