GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – The Albright Lions baseball team (10-23) nearly came all the way back from a nine-run deficit, but fell just short in a 15-14 loss to the Gwynedd Mercy Griffins (15-12-2) on Thursday afternoon at Gwynedd Mercy Baseball Field.
Albright trailed 15-6 heading to the top of the eighth, but got eight runs back in the frame to make it a one run game. The Lions had the tying run at second with two outs in the frame, but the Griffins' Liam Sullivan got
Lew Meringo on strikes to end the inning. Meringo had started the scoring in the inning with an RBI double, while junior
Logan Adams knocked in a pair with a two-run double, freshman
Dylan Harlos delivered an RBI single in the inning and junior
Jimmie Gentry drove in a run with an RBI double to cut the lead to 15-14.
Sullivan allowed an unearned run on two hits while fanning a pair over two innings of work to notch his second save.
The Lions opened the scoring with a five-run second as an error and a walk put two runners on to set the stage for a two-run single from freshman
Chris Thomas.
Joe Suppa added an RBI fielder's choice three batters later, Meringo added an RBI single and Adams plated the fifth run of the inning with an RBI groundout. Gwynedd Mercy quickly answered with 10 runs in the home half of the inning as Sachael Sciaretta tied the game at five apiece with a two-run single and Tommy Nardini hit a three-run blast later in the frame.
Freshman
Cameron Rodgers (0-1) got the start for the Lions and was dealt the loss after giving up eight runs on nine hits in 1 1/3 IP. Bryan Kaelin (3-5) surrendered five runs (one earned) on seven hits to go along with a walk in five innings of work and got the win for the Griffins.
Sciaretta added a two-run single as part of a three-run fourth and Nardini added an RBI double in the fifth before the Lions got a run back as Gentry led off with a single, advanced to third on an error charged to Griffins SS Rob Bailey and scored on Adams' RBI groundout to make it a 14-6 game for the time being.
Gentry (4-6, 2B, RBI, 2 R), junior
Jakob Fry (2-5, 2B, RBI, R), Meringo (2-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R) and Thomas (2-4, 2 RBI, R) all registered multi-hit games for Albright, while freshman RHP
Dan Stofko (2.0 IP, H, 3 K) and sophomore LHP
Tyler Nicoletto (1.0 IP) tossed scoreless outings in relief.
The Lions head to Messiah to open a three-game set with the Falcons tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
