May 3, 2008

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - Behind a complete game effort from senior Eric Drobotij, the Mercyhurst baseball team notched an 8-2 win over Northwood in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. The Lakers also took at 2-0 lead into the fourth inning of the nightcap before rain forced a postponement.

The postponed game will resume with Northwood batting in the fourth Sunday morning at 11 a.m., and will be immediately followed by the regularly scheduled doubleheader.

But before the rain came, the Lakers managed to move above .500, improving their season record to 25-24 by pounding out 10 hits and scoring eight runs, including three in both the fifth and the sixth innings.

Drobotij (2-4), making his final start as a Laker, recorded his second complete game of the season, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk and striking out eight. It was a fitting end to his career, as he ranks fourth in career strikeouts and among the all-time leaders in innings pitched and and wins.

The Laker offense spotted him two runs in the second inning with an RBI double from Josh Schmidt and an RBI single by Craig Denman.

But Northwood managed to knot the game at 2-2 with Matt Czajkowski's solo homer in the fourth and a sacrifice fly from Brett Rohn in the fifth. The Lakers, however, quickly answered in the bottom of the frame, as Adam Gray singled in a run and senior Joe Luli drilled a two-run shot, his team-leading fifth of the year.

Mercyhurst pushed three more runs across the plate for good measure in sixth. Freshman Jonathan Keppler drove in a pair with an RBI triple and later scored on a Northwood fielding error. Drobotij closed out the Timberwolves with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Mark Lipscomb (0-1) suffered the loss for Northwood in his first start of the season. He allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks in 4.2 innings.

Keppler went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs. Gray, Greg Turk and Schmidt also recorded two hits apiece.

Mercyhurst jumped out to a 2-0 advantage by scoring on an error in the first and an RBI single from Denman in the second. Freshman lefty Nick Gillung surrendered one hit and fanned two through his first three innings of work. The game will resume with Michael Goodwin at the plate for Northwood in the top of the fourth.

In between Sunday's games, Mercyhurst will honor its seven seniors, who will be making their final appearance as a Laker.