The Misericordia University baseball team lost to #16 Washington and Jefferson, 12-7, in the first game of the NCAA Mideast Regional on a beautiful day at Ross Memorial Park in Washington, PA.

Tyler Holzapfel went 2-5 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. Kenny Jarema went 3-5 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Conor Smith went 1-4 with a double, two HBPs and an RBI. Steve Weisensee went 1-4 with a HBP and a run scored, while Parker Abate went 1-4 with an RBI and a walk. Brett Davis had two RBI, two walks and a run scored. Billy Kerwien went 2-4 and Jeremy DeCotiis went 1-6 with a run scored.

In the top of the second, Holzapfel led off with a single to center. Weisensee smoked a ball through the first basemen's legs into right field and hustled into second. A bunt by Abate allowed Holzapfel to come sprinting in from third and slide beneath the tag to score the first run of the game. Davis reached on a fielder's choice as Weisensee crossed the plate to give MU an early 2-0 lead.

Washington and Jefferson scored twice in the bottom of the third to make it 2-2. They scored via a ground-rule double to take a 3-2 lead after four.

With two outs in the fifth, DeCotiis singled to short and Jarema lined a single to left field. Holzapfel smashed a two-run double to right center to retake the lead at 4-3.

A solo bomb to left for the Presidents tied the game at 4-4. They went on to score via an RBI single and a fielder's choice to take a 6-4 lead after five.

With two outs, Davis walked on four pitches and Kerwien singled the first pitch he saw up the middle. Smith ripped a RBI-double past the third baseman into left to close the gap to one at 6-5.

A sac fly to deep center by W&J pushed their lead back up to two at 7-5.

In the top of the seventh with one out, Holzapfel drew a walk. Weisensee smacked a single into center, and two batters later Abate walked to load the bases. Davis followed with a walk of his own to send Holzapfel home to score and make it 7-6 W&J.

The Presidents scored five in the seventh to take a 12-6 lead through seven innings.

Sean Lyons started the ninth off with a single to left. Cole Bixler and Smith were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Jarema walked to send Lyons home score the final run of the game.

Misericordia will play Wooster, tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.