Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MURFREESBORO, N.C. - Juniors Dan Altavilla and Jon Klein combined to allow one earned run on nine hits, lifting the Mercyhurst University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep at Chowan University on Sunday afternoon in Murfreesboro, N.C. The Lakers took game one by a 2-0 final thanks to a complete-game shutout from Altavilla and then won game two by a 4-3 margin to improve to 5-1 overall on the season. The Hawks dropped to 1-16 overall.

Mercyhurst pitchers combined to allow just one earned run on ten hits in the two games. The staff did not walk a batter in 14 innings and they struck out 18 in the doubleheader sweep.

Altavilla (1-0) went the distance in game one, allowing just three singles to the Hawks. He did not walk a batter and struck out ten for his first victory of the season. It was the second complete-game shutout of his career, after blanking Slippery Rock last April 12 in a 1-0 victory at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field.

His ten strikeouts marked a career-high, breaking his previous high of eight he established four different times last season.

The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh inning when the Lakers finally plated the only two runs of the contest against Chowan reliever Will Gurganus. After sophomore Hank Morrison grounded out to start the inning, senior Anthony Tomasone and junior Angel Martinez got back-to-back singles to put runners at first and second. Senior Joe Pantano flew out to deep right, but both runners advanced to give the Lakers men at second and third with two outs. Redshirt junior Ryan Siegel came through with a single back up the middle, scoring both Tomasone and Martinez, for the only runs of the game.

Altavilla pitched a perfect bottom half of the seventh to finish off the shutout.

Chowan starter Bobby Mason went the first five innings and allowed just one Laker hit - a first-inning single by sophomore Brendan Cox.

Game one had just seven hits combined, with all seven being singles.

Mercyhurst scored a run in the top of the first in game two on an RBI single by Morrison. The Hawks answered with a run in the bottom of the first against Klein, thanks to an RBI single by John Hunter.

It remained 1-1 until the bottom of the third inning when Chowan took a 2-1 advantage on an RBI double from Ryan Moore. The Hawks then extended the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of an RBI single by Seymour.

But, the Lakers responded with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, all with two outs, to take a 4-3 lead. Pantano singled with one out and then stole second base. Cox walked and sophomore Dan Popio singled to load the bases with two outs. Junior Jake Marinelli drove in Pantano and Cox with a pinch-hit single to tie the contest at 3-3. Popio scored on a two-out error by Burden for the final run of the game.

Klein started the seventh and got an out before giving up a single to end his afternoon. Senior Tanner Delahoy came in and gave up a single to put runners at first and second with one out. But, the closer got the final two outs on a lineout to right and a strikeout for his second save of the season.

Klein went 6.1 innings and allowed one earned run on six hits. He struck out seven for his first victory of the season. Popio had two hits and scored a run in the victory.

The Lakers will be at Winston-Salem State on Monday for a doubleheader beginning at 4:30 p.m.