Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team had everything working on Sunday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field. The Lakers got strong starts from junior Joe Gnacinski and senior Tanner Delahoy, timely hitting, and excellent defense as they cruised to a doubleheader sweep of Pitt-Johnstown. Mercyhurst took game one by a 9-0 final and then completed the sweep with a 7-1 victory in game two. With the victories, Mercyhurst improved to 18-8 overall and 10-4 in the PSAC West. The Mountain Cats fell to 11-18 overall and 6-8 in conference play.

Gnacinski took the mound in game one and needed just 87 pitches to earn his first complete-game shutout in a Laker uniform. He improved to 3-0 on the season and lowered his season earned run average to 1.93 with the victory. He allowed five hits, all singles, and walked two while striking out three.

All of the offense Gnacinski needed came in the bottom of the first inning when Mercyhurst plated two runs, all started by a fielding error. On the very first pitch, senior Joe Pantano hit a weak chopper to second that UPJ's Matt McMillen muffed to start the Laker rally. After a sacrifice bunt by redshirt junior Ryan Siegel got Pantano to second, sophomore Brendan Cox walked to put runners at first and second with one out. Sophomore Dan Popio struck out, but junior Jake Marinelli lined a single to center that allowed Pantano to score for a 1-0 Mercyhurst lead. Back-to-back walks to junior Giancarlo Saia and Hank Morrison forced home the second run of the inning.

Mercyhurst extended the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Popio, scoring Pantano, who reached first after getting plunked on a 1-2 pitch from Pitt-Johnstown starter John Fees. The lead ballooned to 4-0 in the bottom of the third thanks to three wild pitches from Fees. Morrison drew a two-out walk and came all the way around to score without the Lakers putting a ball in play. He advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches during sophomore Stephen Scaccia's at bat. Scaccia drew a walk, stole second, and then advanced to third on Fees' third wild pitch of the frame, which also allowed Morrison to score the Lakers' fourth run.

Things settled down until the bottom of the sixth when the Lakers blew the game wide open against UPJ reliever Nate Plummer. After two groundouts to start the inning, Popio started the rally with a single back up the box and then scored on an RBI double by Marinelli. Saia walked to put two runners on base for Morrison, who hit a towering home run over the left field fence for his first home run of the season to give the Lakers an 8-0 lead. Scaccia then walked and scored on an RBI double from junior Angel Martinez to close out the inning.

Morrison finished game one by going 1-for-1 with two runs scored, the home run, and a season-high four runs batted in. He also walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Marinelli and Popio each had two hits in the Laker victory. Marinelli also had a multiple-RBI game, finishing with two runs batted in.

Fees took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits. He walked six, struck out five, and uncorked five wild pitches. Plummer allowed five runs on four hits in his inning of relief. Jake Warner had two hits off of Gnacinski in a losing effort.

The Lakers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the second game as Pantano launched an 0-1 offering from UPJ starter Ryan Bills over the left field fence to lead off the bottom of the first inning. It was the senior's first home run in a Mercyhurst uniform. The Lakers added two more runs in the inning to take a 3-0 lead after one. Popio singled home Siegel and Morrison drove home Popio for the other two runs of the inning.

That was plenty of offense for Delahoy who went six innings to improve to 4-0 on the season. He allowed one run on five hits, walking three and striking out seven. Sophomore Ben Nolan secured the win in the seventh, pitching around a hit and a hit batter.

Mercyhurst extended the lead to 4-0 in the second on an RBI single from Siegel, which scored senior Anthony Tomasone. The Lakers blew it open in the fourth, scoring three times off of UPJ reliever Ryan Socol. Pantano drove home the first run of the inning with an RBI single and then scored on a double by Siegel. Saia brought home the final run of the inning on a bases loaded walk.

UPJ avoided the shutout in the sixth on an RBI single from Dillon Boyer.

Pantano, Siegel, and Popio each had three hits in the game two victory. Siegel and Pantano both drove home a pair of runs. Sophomore Brendan Cox chipped in with a pair of hits in the victory.

Bills took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in three innings. Socol gave up three runs on six hits and three walks in his three innings of relief.

Mercyhurst is attempting to play a non-conference game on Tuesday at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field. The game was originally scheduled to be against Lake Erie College, but, due to rainouts, the Storm now have to play against a conference opponent on Tuesday. Stay tuned to hurstathletics.com for more details on a Tuesday afternoon game at Mercyhurst.