Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

INDIANA, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team exploded for 28 runs and cruised to a doubleheader sweep at Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon, getting head coach Joe Spano career win number 450. The Lakers scored the program's most runs in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game since joining the league in 2009 when they defeated the Crimson Hawks, 20-7, in game one. Mercyhurst completed the sweep with an 8-2 win in a darkness-shortened game two. The Lakers improved to 24-12 overall and 16-8 in the PSAC West while IUP dropped to 14-23 overall and 8-16 in league play.

Spano, who is in his 15th season as the skipper of the Lakers, is the all-time winningest coach in program history. With the two victories, he improved to 450-313-3, and trails only men's hockey coach Rick Gotkin as the school's all-time winningest coach in any sport. Gotkin, who just completed his 26th season, is 474-336-72.

The Lakers generated 20 runs on 21 hits in the opener - the most runs by the Lakers since defeating SUNY Canton by a 22-12 final on February 25, 2012. It was the most runs by a Laker team in a PSAC game, breaking the previous record of 19 against Slippery Rock in a 19-6 win over The Rock on April 13, 2012.

Mercyhurst scored a pair of runs in the opening inning on a two-run double by sophomore Dan Popio. The Youngstown, Ohio native went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and five RBI in the opener. He also walked twice, reaching base all six times he came to the plate.

The Lakers blew the game open with nine runs in the third and six more in the fourth. Redshirt junior Ryan Siegel had the big blow in the third with a bases-clearing double while senior Anthony Tomasone had a two-run single in the fourth.

Mercyhurst scored its final three runs in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Popio and junior Jake Marinelli and a sacrifice by senior Joe Pantano.

In addition to Popio's huge effort, sophomore Brendan Cox also posted a 4-for-4 line. Cox scored five times and drove in a run. Pantano had three hits and two runs batted in while Siegel and sophomores Hank Morrison and Stephen Scaccia had two hits apiece.

Overshadowed by the offensive explosion was the performance of junior Joe Gnacinski on the mound. The righthander improved to 5-1 on the season after allowing two runs on six hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out five. Redshirt junior Jordan Bray and senior Dan Parker worked in relief, with Parker tossing two scoreless innings for the Lakers.

The Lakers picked up where they left off in game two, plating two runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Popio and a run-scoring single by Pantano.

Mercyhurst scored three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to, again, blow the game open. In the fourth, junior Giancarlo Saia had a two-run single and Morrison had an RBI base knock. Siegel had an RBI double and Popio added a two-run single in the fifth.

The game was called after five innings due to darkness, thanks, in large part, to a 78-minute rain delay in the opening game.

Sophomore Cam Knott was the beneficiary of the offense in game two. The righthander improved to 2-2 on the season after allowing two runs on six hits in three and one-third innings. He walked one and struck out two. Sophomore Colin McKee earned his fifth save of the season, pitching the final one and two-thirds innings after coming in with the Lakers ahead by a 5-2 margin and IUP runners on first and second in the bottom of the fourth. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two.

Five different Lakers had a pair of hits in the game two win. Tomasone went 2-for-2 with three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Popio went 1-for-3 with three runs batted in, finishing the afternoon by going 5-for-7 with five runs scored and eight RBI in the sweep.

Mercyhurst will conclude the regular season this Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26, against Slippery Rock. The teams will play in Slippery Rock on Friday and then will be in Erie on Saturday. Saturday's twinbill will also serve as senior day for the Lakers. Both doubleheaders are slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.