April 5, 2008

Game One
Game Two

University Center, Mich. - Saginaw Valley State handed the Mercyhurst baseball team a pair of losses Saturday afternoon in University Center, Mich., by scores of 10-5 and 3-0.

The Lakers (12-14, 1-9 GLIAC) have now dropped seven in a row and 10 of their last 13. Saginaw Valley State, meanwhile, improved to 15-6 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC.

In game one, senior Joe Luli hit his first home run of the year, but that was the highlight for the Lakers, as Saginaw Valley State pounded out 11 hits and scored seven runs in the first three innings off starter John Mang (1-4).

The Lakers trailed 7-0 before Luli hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals, however, pushed the advantage to 10-2 with three more runs in the fifth, and the Lakers rallied for three runs in the seventh on an RBI triple from Jonathan Keppler, an RBI single from Luli and an RBI from Greg Turk.

Scott Roy improved to 5-0 for Saginaw Valley State after allowing two runs and striking out six in six innings.

In the nightcap, the Lakers were shutout for the fourth time in 10 GLIAC games. Saginaw Valley State jumped on starter Eric Drobotij for three runs in the first, but Drobotij settled in from there and did not allow another run over his next 3.2 innings of work. His offense, however, could not provide the necessary run support and his record dropped to 1-2 on the season as a result.

Drobotij's counterpart, Andrew Doyle, went the distance and held the Lakers to just three hits and struck out eight.

Jamie Walczak, Josh Schmidt and Adam Schlessel each had one single.

Laker senior James Ludwig made his GLIAC-leading 15th appearance of the season in game two and pitched 1.1 shutout innings, giving him 10-straight appearances without allowing an earned run. During that stretch, Ludwig has tossed 11.2 innings. He now leads the team with a 2.50 ERA.

Mercyhurst will try to snap its skids Sunday afternoon in a doubleheader at Saginaw Valley State. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12 p.m.