AKRON, OHIO – In search of its second straight win over a Division I opponent, the Lake Erie College baseball team trailed just 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning at the University of Akron on Tuesday (March 30).  But the Zips broke the game open with a four-running inning en route to a 9-1 win at Lee Jackson Field, snapping the Storm's school-record five-game winning streak.

Sophomore Michael Backes (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) held the Zips (14-9) to just four hits through the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth.  The first four batters reached safely, highlighted by Drew Turocy's three-run home run that made it a 5-0 game.  But Backes responded to retire the next three hitters and minimize the damage.

His counterpart, Zack Yike (1-0), held Lake Erie (9-9) hitless through five innings. He walked two and struck out six.  The Storm ended the Zips' no-hit bid in the sixth when sophomore Matt Toth (Lorain, Ohio/Admiral King) led off the sixth with a single off reliever Bobby Simone.

Akron added four more runs via the longball in the seventh to put the game away. Kevin Hasse hit a solo homer with one out and Brandon White followed later in the inning with a three-run shot, ending the day for Backes (0-3).

Junior captain Nick Lovick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) ended the shutout with a solo home run to left field, his sixth of the season.

The Storm is on the road again Wednesday (March 31) with a doubleheader at Seton Hill University.  Lake Erie returns home to host Ohio Dominican on Thursday (April 1) at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio.  First pitch for that game is 3 p.m.

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