The Salem Tigers dominated their weekend home series at Frank Loria Memorial, securing a clean three-game sweep against the Lake Erie College Storm. Combining elite pitching with timely power hitting, Salem improved their season record while showcasing depth across the roster. While the 4th game of the weekend could not be completed due to weather, the Tigers still claimed the series sweep over the Storm.

Salem 7, Lake Erie 1

Salem opened the series with a strong 7-1 victory fueled by two home runs. Starting pitcher Connor Thiele set the pace on the mound, earning his first win of the season after pitching 6.0 innings and allowing only one run while striking out seven.

The Tigers' offense backed Thiele with 11 hits. Joe Wintermute tied the game with a solo home run in the third inning, followed by another solo blast from Aaron Forbes in the fourth to take the lead. Salem broke the game open in the fifth with three additional runs, including an RBI sacrifice fly from Landon McAlpine. Chase Clemons added an RBI triple in the sixth to extend the lead to 6-1. The bullpen trio of Aiden Eddy, Logan Prater, and Richie Preston combined for three scoreless innings to close out the win.

Salem 3, Lake Erie 0

In the second half of Saturday's doubleheader, Jackson Thoma delivered a performance for the history books. Thoma pitched a 7.0-inning complete-game shutout, allowing zero hits and striking out 12 batters to secure the 3-0 victory.

Salem's offense capitalized on Lake Erie errors early. In the first inning, Reese Rinna singled home Landon McAlpine, who had reached on an error. Aaron Forbes extended the lead in the third with an RBI single, and Joe Wintermute added an insurance run in the sixth with a sacrifice bunt that scored Brandon Hoftijzer. Cody Thomas was perfect at the plate, finishing the game 3-for-3.

Salem 7, Lake Erie 3

Salem completed the series sweep on Sunday with a 7-3 victory. The Tigers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Aaron Forbes reached on a fielder's choice to score Landon McAlpine, followed by a wild pitch that allowed Forbes to cross the plate.

After Lake Erie fought back to tie the game 3-3 in the sixth, Salem responded immediately with a three-run bottom half of the inning. The Tigers regained the lead on a series of wild pitches and an RBI sacrifice fly by Landon McAlpine. Brandon Hoftijzer added a final insurance run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly of his own. Richie Preston earned the win in relief, striking out five over 2.2 perfect innings, while Andrew George closed the door in the ninth.

Series Leaders:

• Hitting: Aaron Forbes led the charge with 5 hits and 4 RBIs across the three games. Landon McAlpine and Cody Thomas also recorded multi-hit games throughout the weekend.

• Pitching: Jackson Thoma's no-hit shutout headlined a staff that combined for 37 strikeouts over the three-game span.