MANSFIELD – Senior
Hunter DePrimo was dominant on the mound in game one and the Mansfield University baseball team hit seven home runs on the afternoon to split with Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East action on Thursday, April 8 at Shaute Field. The Mounties won the opener 9-2 before falling in the nightcap, 15-10.
Mansfield blasted (5-13, 4-10 PSAC East) seven home runs which surpasses the program's total from all of 2019, the last full season for the Mounties.
In game one, every Mountaineer either had a hit, drove in or scored a run as the Mounties collected 13 hits and scored nine runs to outpower the Bald Eagles (3-11, 3-11 PSAC East).
The Mountaineers first four hitters combined to go 8-for-14 with five runs and three RBI, while the bottom half of the order added six RBI and four runs. Sophomore
Josh Farina (2-for-4 two RBI), senior
Tyler Melko (2-for-3, HR, RBI, two runs) and juniors
Ben Osborne (3-for-4, 2B, two runs) and
Assaf Lowengart (2-for-4, HR, run, RBI) all finished with multi-hit performances.
The Mounties plated a run in the first and second inning to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Shertzer drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the top of the first, before Lowengart blasted his third homer of the year into the Long Ball Lounge to extend the lead in the second.
The Mounties created separation in the bottom of the third when they scattered six hits which led to four runs and a 6-0 lead. The Mounties loaded the bases with 0 outs, but Lock Haven quickly responded with back-to-back outs, bringing junior
Jake Haas to the plate.
Haas worked an 11-pitch at bat, resulting in an RBI walk and senior
Ryan Wentzel and Farina followed with RBI singles to round out the scoring.
The Bald Eagles fought back with solo runs in the fourth and fifth to cut the lead to four, but Mansfield put the game away with homers from Melko and junior
Nate Cotton. Cotton notched his first home run and Melko sent his PSAC leading seventh well over the right field wall and almost into the woods at Shaute Field.
DePrimo (3-2) continued to get stronger as he got deeper into the game, tossing his second complete-game and striking out 10, while allowing just one earned run in the victory. DePrimo allowed just three hits and retired the final six batters in order to end the game.
Scott Leitholf was charged with seven runs in the loss for LHU and Justin Lichtenwalner finished with two hits and to lead the Bald Eagles' offense.
In the nightcap, LHU scored the first two runs after two Mountie errors, but Mansfield answered with a six-run bottom half thanks to a grand slam by Shertzer and a two-run shot by Haas to take a 6-2 lead. It was the second home run of the season for both Shertzer and Haas.
Lock Haven answered with four runs in the top of the second to knot the game at six, but Mercedes joined the fun with his first-career homer to help the Mounties retake the lead.
Wentzel and Haas drove in runs in the third to extend the Mountaineer lead to three, but the Bald Eagles hit a three-run home run in the fourth and scored another in the fifth take their first lead since the top of the first.
The bottom of the sixth was the turning point in the game, as Lock Haven used five hits and a MU throwing error to score five runs and put the game away.
Shertzer hit his second home run of the day and third of the season in the bottom of the sixth, but that was the final run for MU.
Haas and Shertzer combined to go 4-for-7 with three home runs and eight RBI, while Mercedes added a homer to lead the Mounties offense. Marykwas (1-2) was charged with three earned runs and the loss.
Kevin Worek earned the win on the mound for the Bald Eagles.
The Mounties travel to Lock Haven on Saturday for the final two games of the series, begginning at noon. The Mounties remain on the road when they travel to Bloomsburg University for a PSAC East doubleheader starting at noon on Friday, April 16.
