5 run fifth powers Mercyhurst to first victory of College World Series

Jack Elliot of Mercyhurst, walks to home plate to tip his helmet with teammates, Matt Gibson and Dominic DeRonzo after hitting a three-run homer in the fifth. Photo by Jack Butler.

Jack Butler jbutle58@lakers.mercyhurst.edu

CARY, North Carolina – Following a stunning, emotional, and crushing loss on Sunday, the Lakers headed back to the diamond from an off day on Monday. They were ready for the task at hand, battling Catawba, attempting to avoid being eliminated. Mercyhurst had their ace on the pitching slab, redshirt Senior, Matthew Minnick (7-3 3.05) leading them to an 8-5 victory over Catawba.

The Lakers opened the scoring in the home half of the second when Matthew Schneider drilled a leadoff homer to the grass just beyond the outfield wall. Catawba was not behind for long, plating three runs in the third off Minnick.

Jacob Nester got on base with a single then Bryce Butler was beaned by a pitch. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Heath Mitchem tied the contest at 1 by lining an RBI base hit. The Indians rout continued as Jeremy Simpson walked and a batter later two runners crossed the plate on a single by Joe Buts.

Mercyhurst was blanked in the third and four innings but Minnick kept his team in the game by retiring six Indians in a row, striking out two in the process. Luke Baranchak, the Laker's right fielder, began a five-run fifth, changing the Mercyhurst faithful, the game and fate of their season. If this never occurred, Joe Spano’s team would have been sent home, disappointed, not showing the country they can play with the best and most importantly earning the programs second ever win in the CWS.

Baranchak drilled a triple off the top of the left-field wall and Indians hurler, Riley Myers (3.70) then got Dominic Cecere swinging. Myers's afternoon would get harder as the fifth inning went on.

Dominic DeRenzo drove in Baranchak to score on a one-out single, then Matthew Gibson walked. The score still in the hands of Catawba 3-2, the Lakers had runners on first and second with one of their best young players stepping to the plate, Jack Elliott. Myers made a mistake; Elliott did not miss, launching a ball just above the right-center field wall for a three-run homer.

Mercyhurst reclaimed the lead from Catawba 4-3 but was not finished. Following Elliot’s homer, the book on Myers was closed, going 4.3 innings giving up 6 hits, 5 runs, all of them earned while striking out 6 and not allowing a walk.

DJ Laxton came in to stop the bleeding, facing two batters, producing a flyout but giving up two-bagger to Schneider. Williamsville, N.Y. native, Josh Surowiec plated Schneider with a double of his own, making it 6-3 Lakers.

Minnick faced three batters in the sixth, producing a pop out caught by Cecere, but Jackson Raper took him deep, cutting into the deficit. The southpaw’s last colligate pitch was a ball, walking catcher, Cameron Morrison, and Spano slowly went to the mound to make a pitching change.

He brought in the former starter, now, long inning reliever; Russell Lamovec as Minnick received cheers from the Mercyhurst faithful.

Laker's southpaw, Matt Minnick, ends his last start in a Mercyhurst uniform, walking to the third-base dugout, with his teammates waiting to congratulate him. Photo by Jack Butler.

Lamovec was terrific on the pitching slab, hurling 31/3 frames of 1 run, 2 hit baseball, striking out 3 Indians and yielding 3 free passes. After going 12/3, the Lakers gave him two more runs to work with before pitching the eighth. Sawyer Strickland shutdown the first five Mercyhurst hitters until Senior shortstop, Alex O’Donnell reached on a base hit.

With two down, Schneider drove in O’Donnell, his second RBI on a triple, finishing a single away from the cycle. Surowiec continued his brilliance in the CWS with a single plating Schneider, ending with three hits on the afternoon. Both Mercyhurst and Catawba’s bullpens locked down the eighth frames, with the Indians down to their final three outs.

The right-handed Senior was one out away from ending it after getting a popup and a strikeout, however, three consecutive hitters reached base, two of them walked and Joe Buts brought Simpson home on a single, which would be the final run for Catawba. Jared Kapturasky managed to get Raper swinging to close the game, earning the save and keeping the Lakers season alive.

Mercyhurst and Catawba players form a handshaking line at home plate, following the Lakers narrow 8-5 victory of the Indians in the College World Series. Photo by Jack Butler.

Minnick picked up his first win of the CWS dealing 51/3 innings, yielding five hits and four runs, all earned, striking out six, and walking two. Schneider and Surowiec picked up the slack offensively, combining to go six for eight, with four extra-base hits, two singles, and driving in four of the teams eight runs.

Mercyhurst will wait for the completion of UC San Diego versus the University of Tampa tonight to determine tomorrow’s opponent. Spano has not elected a starting pitcher for the next game, with first pitch tabbed for 3:00 pm on Wednesday, NCAA.com and Laker Athletics will carry the game.