AVON, Ohio – The wind was whirling and the sun was shining on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Health Stadium, as Notre Dame College and Lake Erie College competed a rescheduled doubleheader from last weekend. The windy conditions allowed each team to hit three long-balls, as Cadence Varner (2) and Carson Petrecca went deep for NDC. However, the Falcons fell to the Storm 11-6 in game one and 10-4 in game two.
 
In the first contest, LEC got the scoring started in the top of the first inning, with five runs on three hits, including a home run, to lead 5-0.
 
During the home half of the frame, freshman Jacob Barker one-hopped the wall on a double to left field, but the Falcons remained scoreless.
 
The Storm tallied a run during the third inning (6-0), before Notre Dame posted a crooked number in the fourth. Petrecca drew a lead-off walk, and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Hudson Wesney (6-1).
 
Back-to-back hits to lead-off the fifth inning by Devon Morris and Caden Gomes, posted a pair of Falcons in scoring position with no outs. Next, Tyler Shadle and Alexander Jones drove home the runs for NDC with sacrifice flies (6-3).
 
Despite two runs by Lake Erie in the top of the sixth inning (8-3), Notre Dame got back to work during bottom of the frame. The Falcons scored three runs on four hits, as Petrecca jolted a lead-off home run, the first of his career (8-4). A couple batters later, Varner joined Petrecca with a long-ball to left, his first career home run (8-5). With two outs, NDC continued their run, as Morris walked, followed by a Gomes single through the left side. Following a Lake Erie pitching change, Shadle drove home Morris on an RBI single to right field (8-6).
 
LEC responded with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, to take the first game of the doubleheader 11-6.
 
The Falcons struck out nine batters in game one, as Danny Brammer led the way with four punch outs in 2.2 innings pitched. Starting pitcher Johnny Anservitz added three strikeouts in 3.1 innings, while Nate Miller picked up a pair in one inning of work.
 
In game two, Lake Erie started the scoring early once again with three runs on five hits to lead 3-0.
 
Notre Dame responded quickly during the second inning, knotting the game a 3-3 on a pair of extra-base hits. After Jones walked and stole second to lead-off the frame, Morris then roped an RBI double down the right field line (3-1). In the very next at-bat, Varner found the power-alley one more time with a two-run home run, tying the score at 3-3.
 
LEC tallied two runs on three hits during the fourth inning, and one run on two hits in the fifth, to move in front 6-3.
 
Despite four more runs from Lake Erie in the seventh inning (10-3), Notre Dame fought until the final pitch. A lead-off walk by Gomes, followed by a single to center field from Barker, and NDC saw their first two batters reach base safely. Two batters later, Jones got the job done with a sacrifice fly to center field (10-4).
 
Starting pitcher Matthew Brown settled in nicely after the first inning, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts. Resiliently, Brown generated three punch outs and allowed only three hits after first frame. In addition, Wesney (2.0 IP, ER, 3H, 0BB and K) and Garret Odey (IP, 0R, H, 0BB, 2K) tossed quality innings in relief.
 
On the day, Morris paced the Falcons with three hits over the doubleheader, while Barker, Gomes and Varner each recorded a pair. Varner (3), Jones (2) and Shadle (2) drove in multiple runs for NDC, while Morris, Petrecca and Wesney aided the scoring with an RBI apiece. Notre Dame poked six extra-base hits on the day, as Varner (2) and Petrecca (1) went yard, while Barker, Gomes and Morris produced doubles.
 
The Notre Dame College baseball team will be back in action on Sunday Mar. 3 at 10 a.m. against Ohio Dominican as the Falcons will be in Florida for their annual spring break trip which will feature seven games down South.