EASTLAKE, OHIO –  For the second time in a week, the Lake Erie College baseball team was edged out in a doubleheader opener by Mercyhurst College, but this time there was no second-game rally as the Storm dropped both games to the visiting Lakers on Tuesday (April 13) at Classic Park. 

Mercyhurst (19-17) eked out a 7-6 opening win to snap the Storm's (12-20) two-game winning streak and then went on to a 10-2 victory in game two.

Justin Urschel's second-inning sacrifice fly in the second inning proved to be the difference in game one.  It put the Lakers up 2-1 at the time, but it would be a lead they would not relinquish.  The two teams played even the rest of the way, including matching three-run fifth innings, but the Lakers were able to stay ahead throughout.

After the Storm's three-run fifth, highlighted by RBI singles from sophomores Matt Toth (Lorain, Ohio/Admiral King) and  Ryan Rua (Amherst, Ohio/Amherst), to close with 7-6, relievers Joshua Graham and Eric Aschley shutdown the LEC offense in its last two at-bats to secure the win.

Rua went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Storm, while Nick Lovick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) also drove in a pair of runs with two hits. 

Bill Gerstenlager led the Lakers with three hits and two runs scored in the opener, while Scott Knoche (1-1) earned the win in relief despite allowing three unearned runs in 1 1/3 innings.  Glen Stewart (Stratttanville, Pa./Clarion Limestone) suffered the loss (0-3), allowing seven runs- three earned- on nine hits in four innings.

The Lakers left little to chance in the nightcap as the first four batters reached base to start the game and Adam Bretlinger's two-run single capped a four-run first inning.  Ethan Santora hit a two-run home run in the second to make it a 6-0 game.     

The Storm got two runs back with single scores in the second and third with RBIs by freshmen Cody Blood (Conneaut, Ohio/Conneaut) and Pat Kilway (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) , but Mercyhurst put the game away with  a three-run fifth.

Brentlinger led the Mercyhurst offense in game two with three hits while Gerstenslagler had two more in the nightcap.  Russell Gardner (1-0) got the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings. Pat Mulligan (Brookfield, Ohio/Brookfield) took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits in four innings to fall to 2-6 on the year.

The Storm returns to action on Thursday, April 16, at Tiffin University for a single, nine-inning game.

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