Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ERIE, Pa. - Sophomore Dan Altavilla and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout in game one and senior Ben Rawding went the distance for his first complete-game shutout of the season, as the Mercyhurst University baseball team swept a doubleheader from Clarion University on Saturday afternoon on a cold and windy day in Erie. The Lakers took game one by a 7-0 final before taking the nightcap by a 4-0 score. Mercyhurst improved to 26-14 overall and 11-7 in the PSAC West. The Golden Eagles dropped to 1-31 overall and 1-17 in conference play.

Altavilla breezed through five innings, throwing just 67 pitches in game one. The sophomore allowed a first inning single in his outing, walking two and striking out six. He improved to 5-4 on the season and has not allowed a run in his last 12 innings. Junior Dan Parker pitched around a walk in the sixth inning while freshman Cam Knott finished the game, allowing only a leadoff single in the seventh.

In game two, Rawding improved to 9-1 on the season with his six-hit shutout. It was his first shutout of the season and the fourth complete game shutout of his career. He pitched three shutouts as a freshman with his last one prior to Saturday coming against Slippery Rock on April 17, 2010.

The victory was also the senior lefthander's 30th career win as he improved to 30-6 in his four years with the Lakers. The southpaw is 25-2 over his last three seasons.

Rawding is already the program's all-time leader in victories with 30, surpassing former MLB pitcher John Costello, who recorded 26 wins from 1980-81. He has 277 career strikeouts, including six on Saturday, which puts him 15 behind Mercyhurst's all-time leader Steve Strohm, who recorded 292 from 2000-03. His four career shutouts are tied for the most in program history, and his career earned run average of 2.40 is third in program history.

Mercyhurst wasted little time getting Altavilla runs to work with in the first game, as the Lakers scored a run in the first inning and then three runs in each of the second and third innings to jump out to a 7-0 advantage.

In the first, sophomore Kolin McMillen led off the inning with a walk against Clarion starter Tyler Delval and then was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Joe Pantano. Senior Zak Blair followed with a single, putting runners at the corners with one out. After freshman Brendan Cox struck out, Delval unleashed a wild pitch during sophomore Jake Marinelli's at bat which allowed McMillen to cross the plate with the game's first run.

Mercyhurst tacked on three more runs, all unearned, in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Sophomore Ryan Siegel led off with a fly ball to left field that was dropped by Clarion's left fielder, Josh Ponsoll, to start the three-run rally. Junior Anthony Tomasone then laced a double to right center two batters later, putting runners at second and third with one out. Freshman Stephen Scaccia walked to load the bases. McMillen plated Siegel with an RBI groundout to first base for a 2-0 Mercyhurst lead. Pantano finished off the inning with a two-run single through the right side of the infield.

The Lakers were not done as they added three more runs in the third. Marinelli started the rally with a one-out infield single and then advanced to second on a single by Siegel. Sophomore Kyle Hagerich came up with the big hit of the inning, a two-run triple to right center field, giving the Lakers a 6-0 lead. Tomasone then singled to drive home Hagerich for what proved to be the game's final run.

Delval went the distance for the Golden Eagles and settled down after the first three innings. He allowed seven runs, four earned, on eight hits in his six innings of work. He walked two and struck out six. The Clarion righthander dropped to 0-5 on the season.

Tomasone was the only Laker with a multiple hit game, picking up two of Mercyhurst's eight hits.

As in game one, the Lakers wasted no time getting Rawding a lead in the nightcap.

Mercyhurst loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first inning against Clarion starter Brett Whitman. Pantano and Cox had singles, sandwiched around a fielder's choice from Blair. Marinelli plated two runs with a two-run double down the left field line, giving Rawding all the runs he would need.

Blair drove home Mercyhurst's third run with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. Freshman Joel Yeagley capped off the scoring with a pinch hit RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Rawding allowed six hits while striking out six. He did not walk a batter. The Beaver Falls native has allowed seven earned runs over his last nine starts (1.03 ERA), covering 61 innings of work.

Whitman dropped to 0-8 for Clarion, allowing four runs on eight hits. He walked five and struck out four.

Cox had two of Mercyhurst's eight hits in game two.

The same two teams will battle on Sunday afternoon in Clarion, Pa. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.