Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ERIE, Pa. - Junior Dan Altavilla and redshirt junior Jon Klein flirted with no-hitters on Saturday afternoon, pitching back-to-back shutouts to lift the Mercyhurst University baseball team to a sweep of Slippery Rock at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field. The Lakers took game one by a 6-0 final and then earned a 3-0 victory in game two to secure a spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament next week at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa. With the sweep, Mercyhurst, ranked fourth in the Atlantic Region, improved to 26-12 overall and 18-8 in the PSAC West. The Rock dropped to 25-17 overall and 14-12 in league play.

Altavilla allowed infield singles in the fourth and seventh innings of game one, pitching a two-hit shutout to improve to 7-0 on the season. It was the righthander's fifth shutout in nine starts this season as he lowered his earned run average to 1.34. However, he did have to pitch out of trouble a couple of times on Saturday as he walked a season-high six batters on the afternoon. He did strike out seven and made some huge pitches with Rock runners in scoring position in both the third and seventh innings to preserve the shutout.

The Greenock, Pa., native was overshadowed by the performance of Klein in game two. Klein had his no-hitter broken up with two outs in the sixth inning on a single down the left field line by Slippery Rock's Will Kengor. The redshirt junior from Cheektowaga, N.Y. had to settle for a one-hitter for his first shutout of the season. He walked two and struck out eight, needing just 82 pitches to blank The Rock to complete the sweep. Klein improved to 4-5 on the year and lowered his earned run average to 3.56.

Offensively, the Lakers struck for three runs in the first inning of game one against Slippery Rock starter Garret Peterson. Junior Giancarlo Saia drove home a pair with a two-run single during the rally and then Mercyhurst scored the third run of the frame on a double steal with sophomore Stephen Scaccia stealing second base and sophomore Dan Popio swiping home on the throw through.

Mercyhurst scored two more in the fourth, getting a two-run triple down the right field line from redshirt junior Ryan Siegel. The Lakers added one more in the fifth when Popio crossed the plate after a wild pitch from Slippery Rock reliever Anthony Naso.

Peterson lasted just two innings on the hill for Slippery Rock, allowing three runs on four hits to fall to 3-5 on the season. Naso finished the contest and gave up three runs on six hits over four innings of work.

Every Laker starter in game one had at least one hit with only Siegel finished with more than one. The center fielder had a pair of hits, two RBI, and two stolen bases in the game one victory.

In game two, Mercyhurst scored a run in each of the first three innings to provide the only offense Klein needed.

The Lakers got an RBI single from senior Joe Pantano in the first, a run-scoring single from Siegel in the second, and an RBI single from sophomore Hank Morrison in the third against Slippery Rock starter Kyle Schneider.

Schneider dropped to 6-3 on the season after allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in four innings. James Divosevic pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Popio, Siegel, and Morrison each had a pair of hits in the victory.

Mercyhurst will close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon at Slippery Rock for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Lakers will then be a part of the PSAC Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, April 30, in Butler, Pa. Mercyhurst has clinched no worse than second in the Western Division and can still catch western-leading Seton Hill on Sunday. Mercyhurst would have to win both and the Griffins would have to lose both to give the Lakers at least a share of the Western Division crown for the fourth consecutive season. Mercyhurst has made the PSAC tournament in each of the six seasons the Lakers have been in the league.