On the second and final day of the inaugural Reisner-Gift Invitational April 16 at Cannon Field, Mercersburg’s varsity baseball team won its opener over Western Reserve Academy, 12-2, before dropping the finale to Highland School, 4-3.

Mercersburg exploded for nine runs in the 1st inning of the win over Western Reserve (of Hudson, OH). Evan Howley ’22 tossed a complete game for the Blue Storm in the opener, scattering six hits and two runs over six innings and recording five strikeouts. Caleb Newcomer ’23 and Danny Adusei-Poku ’23 each drove in three runs in support of Howley; Newcomer also homered and scored three times. Aiden Lorson ’22 was 2-for-3 and scored twice.

In the second game, Mercersburg got a run in the 1st inning before Highland (of Warrenton, VA) scored three unearned runs in the top of the 3rd. The Storm responded with single runs in the bottom of the 3rd and 4th to tie the score before the Hawks pushed a run across in the 6th which provided the final margin. Gavin Williams ’24 and Tommy Tereschuk ’22 both collected a pair of hits and drove in a run.

Mercersburg turned a triple play in the top of the 4th inning, when Highland put runners on first and second with nobody out. The Hawks’ Ryan Gimbel lined a bunt to the pitcher Lorson, who fired to Gavin Williams ’24 at first and Williams tossed to the shortstop John Blanco ’23 at second to double/triple off the runners.

The Blue Storm (6-7) hosts local foe Grace Academy Wednesday, April 20, at 4:30 p.m.