Seton Hill advanced to their third NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship game as they took on Mercyhurst in West Lawn, PA on Monday afternoon. The Griffins need two wins to win the regional title. Seton Hill saw their season end with a 4-2 loss to Mercyhurst in the regional final. The Griffins see their season end with a 34-22 record.
The Griffins got a leadoff double from
Adam Bankovich in the third inning but Bankovich was picked off with no one out, ending the threat.
Tyler Sullivan led off the sixth inning with a single to left center field but was stranded at first as the game remained scoreless heading to the bottom of the sixth.
SHU finally broke thru in the seventh inning to get on the scoreboard. After one out,
Colton Carney singled and moved to second on an error.
Carl Turner then drew a walk. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch with Carney scoring on a throwing error at second base to give the Griffins a 1-0 lead. The Griffins were not able to score Turner from third base as he was cut down at the plate on a ground out.
The game turned in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Lakers scored four times without a hit. The Lakers used four walks, an error and two passed balls to take a 4-1 lead over the Griffins.
SHU tried to rally in the top of the eighth inning. Sullivan was hit by a pitch to start the rally.
Chris Law singled and moved Sullivan to third base with no one out.
Tom McCarthy reached on a fielders choice with Sullivan scoring to trim the lead to 4-2. The Lakers then went back to their ace, Chris Vallimont for the third time in the regional. He threw a wild pitch to move the runners up to second and third but he got two strikeouts and a pop out to end the inning. Vallimont then got the Griffins in order in the ninth to end the game and the Griffins season.
Bankovich led the offense with two hits.
Patrick Monteverde was the hard luck loser, giving up two unearned runs in 6.2 innings of work. He gave up just two hits while striking out four and walking three.
