Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WASHINGTON, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team extended its winning streak to eight games on Saturday afternoon with a pair of identical 5-4 victories over former GLIAC-rival Grand Valley State at the CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa. The wins moved the Lakers to 12-7 overall on the season. Their Laker counterparts from Grand Valley dropped to 5-6 on the year.

In game one, freshman Brendan Cox laced a walkoff single to left center, driving home senior Zak Blair with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Blair led off the inning with a single, his third hit of the game, and then was sacrificed to second by freshman Joel Yeagley before Cox' heroics.

Grand Valley State would plate a run in the top of the first inning off of Mercyhurst starter, sophomore Dan Altavilla. Kevin Zak came through with a one-out double to give the GVSU Lakers a 1-0 advantage.

But, Mercyhurst responded with four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-1 lead. Freshman Stephen Scaccia drove in the tying run with an RBI groundout to second base, plating sophomore Jake Marinelli. Junior Joe Pantano followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring freshman Hank Morrison. Blair would cap off the inning with a two-run single, driving home juniors Anthony Tomasone and Braedon Pennington.

The visitors would chip away at the Mercyhurst lead, scoring a run in the third and then two more in the sixth.

An RBI single by Giancarlo Brugnoni in the third cut the Mercyhurst lead to 4-2. In the sixth, Stephen Claypool cut the Mercyhurst lead to 4-3 with an RBI single. Then, with freshman Cam Knott on the mound, Brandon Banks came through with a two-out triple, tying the contest at 4-4, setting up Cox' winning hit.

Altavilla went 5.2 innings and allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits. He walked four and struck out eight. Knott earned his first collegiate victory, going the final inning and a-third. He allowed the tying hit, walked one, and struck out three.

Blair paced the Lakers with three hits and two RBIs. Marinelli chipped in with a pair of hits in the victory.

In game two, senior Matthew Jimenez was masterful out of the Laker bullpen, to help the Lakers come-from-behind. Mercyhurst trailed 4-3 when Jimenez entered in the fourth, but the senior would allow just one hit and one walk in four innings to win his second game of the season. He struck out five Grand Valley State hitters in relief of redshirt sophomore Jon Klein.

Mercyhurst scored two in the first on an RBI double by Blair and an RBI single by Cox off of Grand Valley starter Brad Zambron.

But, Grand Valley State touched up Klein with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead. Brugnoni and Stuart Eisler had RBI hits in the inning.

Each team would plate a run in the third inning, to keep the game a one-run affair. Mercyhurst got an RBI groundout from Blair to tie the game, before Eisler came through with an RBI triple.

But, Jimenez entered in the fourth and Mercyhurst would reward him with the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. The Lakers tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth, before Jimenez officially entered, when Morrison scored on an error off the bat of sophomore Kyle Hagerich.

In the sixth, the Lakers would plate another unearned run to take the lead. Marinelli reached on an error with one out, putting runners at first and second. Then, with two outs, Zambron uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Yeagley to score after leading off the inning with a walk.

Jimenez allowed just one baserunner over the last two innings to seal the victory.

Klein went three and allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits. He walked one and struck out four in the no-decision.

Mercyhurst had single hits from five different players to complete the sweep.

Mercyhurst will play a single, nine-inning game on Tuesday at Glenville State, before entering PSAC competition next weekend with home-and-home doubleheaders against California, Pa. Mercyhurst will be at Cal next Friday, March 22, before coming home against the Vulcans on Saturday, March 23.