Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BUTLER, Pa. – One day after senior Ben Rawding and two relievers combined on a one-hit shutout, the Mercyhurst University pitching staff allowed just two runs and six hits in a doubleheader sweep of Salem International on Sunday afternoon from Pullman Park in Butler, Pa. Mercyhurst took game one 11-0 and then completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in game two to extend its winning streak to five games. The Lakers improved to 9-7 overall while the Fighting Tigers dropped to 2-11.

Over the three-game weekend sweep of Salem, Mercyhurst pitchers allowed just two runs on seven hits in 25 innings of work.

Sophomore Dan Altavilla and junior Braedon Pennington combined to throw a one-hit shutout in the opener on Sunday. Altavilla went the first five and allowed a one-out single to Emmanuel Dominguez in the fifth, breaking up his bid at a no-hitter. The righthander walked two and struck out two. Pennington pitched the final two innings and also walked two while striking out a pair.

Altavilla improved to 3-1 on the season.

Mercyhurst provided plenty of offense, scoring at least one run in each of the first five innings, including three runs in the first, fourth, and fifth.

The Lakers racked up 11 runs on 14 hits in the contest, getting a 3-for-3 performance from senior Zak Blair. Blair also scored a run and drove in a pair. Mercyhurst got two hits each from Joe Pantano, Joel Yeagley, Hank Morrison, and Anthony Tomasone in the victory.

Blair, Yeagley, and Brendan Cox each drove in a pair of runs.

The teams decided to play nine innings in the second game of the doubleheader, with the Lakers getting the better end of a pitcher's duel.

Mercyhurst scored all four of its runs in the first two innings and then watched four pitchers combine to strike out 15 Salem batters en route to the 4-2 victory. Redshirt sophomore Jon Klein allowed two runs on four hits through the first four innings. He walked three and struck out seven, but did not pitch long enough to get the victory. The win went to senior Matthew Jimenez, who pitched three innings of one-hit ball out of the bullpen. He improved to 1-3 on the season, striking out three without walking a batter. Junior Jon Corbi struck out two in an inning of work, while junior Tanner Delahoy earned his third save of the season, striking out the side in the ninth.

The offense provided three runs in the first inning on RBIs from Cox, Morrison, and freshman catcher Steve McCaw. Mercyhurst tacked on a fourth run in the second inning on an RBI double from Blair.

Blair went 3-for-4 in game two and, after going 3-for-3 in the first game, has his season batting average up to .450 (27-for-60). Cox also went 3-for-4 in the second game, while freshman Stephen Scaccia had a pair of hits in four trips.

Mercyhurst will travel to Washington, Pa., next weekend to play against West Liberty State and Grand Valley State in successive days. Mercyhurst will play the Hilltoppers on Friday, March 15 beginning at 1:00 p.m., and then will play the Lakers of Grand Valley on Saturday, March 16.