NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The Lake Erie College baseball team opened a three game series with the Walsh University Cavaliers with a doubleheader on Friday (April 13).

Walsh swept the opening doubleheader with a 12-5 win in game one and a 10-3 win in the second game.

GAME ONE

Walsh scored one run in the second and fourth innings before plating three runs in the fifth inning for a 5-0 lead after five innings.

Lake Erie got a run across in the seventh inning, cutting the lead to 5-1. Nigel Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio / La Salle) singled and Rees Rua (Amherst, Ohio / Amherst Steele) moved him to third with a single of his own. Williams scored on a double play from Sam Browning (Cincinnati, Ohio / Archbishop McNicholas).

Walsh gained a run back in the seventh inning until Lake Erie both two runs home in the eighth inning. After a fielder's choice that erased a leadoff hit by pitch, Trace Peterson (Medina, Ohio / Medina) reached on an error. Wes Birchmeier (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg) doubled home both runners. The Storm pulled within three runs, 6-3.

A six-run eighth inning put the game away as Walsh led 12-3 going to the ninth inning.

Lake Erie got two runs in the ninth inning, closing the scoring in game one. Rua and Anthony Jackson (Akron, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban) each singled to lead off the frame. Rua moved to third base on a flyout. An error allowed Jacob Lozinski (Avon, Ohio / St. Edward) to reach and load the bases for the Storm. Corbin Paxton (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) singled home Rua and Jackson scored on a RBI groundout by Ryan Carver (Orange Park, Fla. / Oakleaf). Walsh won the game 12-5.

Williams and Rua each had two hits as Lake Erie had 11 hits in the opener.

GAME TWO

Walsh plated four runs in the first inning, taking a 4-0 lead over the Storm.

Lake Erie pulled within two runs in the second. Nathan Erzen (Brookpark, Ohio / Berea-Midpark) cut the lead in half with a two-run homerun, scoring Caleb Waller (Vermilion, Ohio / Vermilion), who doubled.

One inning later, the Storm trimmed the lead to one with a run. Peterson reached on an error with two outs. Birchmeier doubled home Peterson from first base as Lake Erie made it 4-3.

The Cavaliers added one run in the third, three runs in the fourth and two in the seventh for a 10-3 final score.

Erzen had two of the Storm's five hits in the second game, including his homerun.

The two teams will close the series on Monday (April 16) night with a single game at Classic Park. First pitch for the series finale is set for 6:00 PM.

-LEC-