Seton Hill battled #8 Mercyhurst on a cold and blustery day in Erie on Friday afternoon. The Griffins used a strong pitching performance from
Perry DellaValle in game two to earn a split in the doubleheader. The Lakers squeaked out a 1-0 lead over the Griffins in game one. The Griffins took advantage of some Mercyhurst mistakes and rode the arm of Dellavalle for a 6-1 win in game two. SHU is now 10-14 overall and 5-5 in PSAC West action.
Starters
Patrick Monteverde and Chris Vallimont hooked up in a pitchers dual in game one of the doubleheader. SHU had a chance to strike first in the top of the first inning of game one.
Chris Law walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. He moved to third with one out on a sac bunt from
Garret Vrbanic but two strikeouts ended the inning.
The Lakers loaded the bases after two outs in the bottom of the first but Monteverde got a strikeout looking to end the inning.
Mark Colella doubled with one out in the second inning for the first Griffin hit. Mercyhurst got their first hit and first run in the fourth. They used a one out walk, a wild pitch and a Griffin error to take a 1-0 lead.
The Griffins put up a fight in the seventh but could not get the game tying hit.
Colella had two of the three Griffin hits. Monteverde was the hard luck loser, giving up just 2 hits and 1 unearned run in four innings while striking out seven.
SHU got on the board in the fourth inning of game two. Back to back doubles from Colella and
Jordan Fiedor gave SHU a 1-0 lead. They added two more runs in the fifth. Fiedor singled with one out.
Tom McCarthy followed with a single to put runners on first and third. A wild pitch scored Fiedor to give SHU a 2-0 lead. Two more wild pitches scored McCarthy to extend the SHU lead to 3-0.
Colton Carney singled in a run in the seventh and two more runs scored on a Mercyhurst error to give SHU a 6-0 lead.
Dellavalle earned the win, going six shutout innings. He gave up three hits while striking out 11.
Fiedor and
Tyler Sullivan each had two hits for SHU.
The Griffins and Lakers will close out their four game set with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.