Jun 4, 2026 By Jerin Steele 4 min read

SLIPPERY ROCK – When Colton Temple launched a two-run homer over the right field fence to cut Mercyhurst Prep’s lead to one in the top of the fifth, it looked like there could still be some magic left for Fort Cherry.

But the wheels came off for the Rangers in the bottom of the sixth and subsequently their best season in 40 years came to an end.

District 10 champ Mercyhurst Prep scored eight runs in the sixth to pad its lead and went on to beat Fort Cherry, 14-5, in the PIAA Class 2A baseball quarterfinals Thursday at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.

The Lakers (21-2) advanced to play WPIAL champion Neshannock in the state semifinals on Monday. Fort Cherry finished 19-3.

Mercyhurst Prep scored its eight runs with only two hits out of the infield. That was a one-out single by Cameron Aresco. After that Brady Rice reached on a bunt single. Hayden Spencer scored on a passed ball and two more runs came in on an error at third base by Tyler Wolfe.

The fourth run scored on a well-executed safety squeeze by Mike Schloss.

Then, Spencer delivered the final nail with a bases clearing double to center field.

Though it was put out of reach by the big inning, Fort Cherry coach Bob Sawhill felt the game was lost earlier.

“The sixth inning was after the fact,” Sawhill said. “We should’ve been a little bit better before that. We did well at the beginning, but they ended up getting the lead from us.”

Temple’s homer was a no-doubter over the right field fence that cut the Lakers lead to 6-5. Ben Demascal tripled in the at-bat prior to Temple’s homer.

That ended the day for Lakers starter Hunter Krahe.

Rice took over and gave up a single and a walk, but got a strikeout of Nathan Wolfe to end the inning and strand the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.

After that Rice pitched a pair of scoreless innings to secure the win.

“That’s what we expect from Brady,” Mercyhurst Prep coach Randy Durkoske said. “You need two or three pitchers to get through this thing and Brady’s been great since he first came up to varsity his sophomore year. He was a change of pace pitcher when we needed him. They were on Hunter. He didn’t have his best stuff.”

Fort Cherry led 3-1 entering the bottom of the third, but saw that advantage evaporate.

Walks hurt Fort Cherry starter Dylan Lueck. He issued two consecutive free passes to start the third and Cameron Aresco hit a shallow fly ball the other way that landed just fair inside the right field line to score a run.

With the infield drawn in, Krahe lined a single to left field to score two runs and give Mercyhurst Prep its first lead at 4-3.

“We made a little bit of an adjustment, moving up in the box to take away (Lueck’s) low curveball,” Durkose said. “That was really the only thing we did differently and we just executed a lot better the second time around.”

Ryan Huey took over in the fourth inning for Lueck, but the Lakers continued to put pressure on, scoring two more runs.

They had only one hit in the inning, but got baserunners on a walk and hit by pitch. Spencer had an RBI single and Noah Reigel scored on a fielder’s choice from second base.

Fort Cherry jumped on Everett for a run in the first inning of its first-round game and doubled that total against Mercyhurst Prep Thursday.

Both runs came with two outs.

Huey lined a single up the middle that scored Ben Demascal from second base to plate Fort Cherry’s first run in the top of the first.

Demascal singled to left field with one out in the first and moved to second on a passed ball.

Tyler Wolfe drove a hanging curveball from Lakers starter Hunter Krahe back up the middle to score Huey from second to make it 2-0.

Mercyhurst Prep got a run back in the bottom of the second. Krahe led off the inning with a double to left field that hopped over the fence. He moved to third on a perfect bunt single by Jack Natemeier and scored on a groundout to first by Lucca Almonte.

Though Fort Cherry’s season is over, the future is bright with almost everyone returning. Only one starter, first baseman Blake Sweder, is a senior.

“We’re excited,” Sawhill said. “Give them another year to mature and get a little better and we should be alright.”