ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play with a doubleheader sweep of Slippery Rock University at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field on Sunday afternoon. The Lakers won in walkoff fashion in game one, 2-1, and then completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory in game two. Mercyhurst remained unbeaten at 8-0 on the season while The Rock dropped to 7-6 overall.

The Lakers were one out away from suffering their first loss of the season in game one before rallying against Slippery Rock starter Ryan Oglesby. After junior Dan Popio struck out and senior Giancarlo Saia grounded out to start the bottom of the seventh, junior Hank Morrison started the two-out rally with a base hit. Junior Austin Alonge doubled home Morrision to tie the contest at 1-1 and senior Jake Marinelli looped a base hit to center to drive home Alonge for the winning run.

Slippery Rock scored its only run of the game in the top of the first inning against Mercyhurst redshirt sophomore Colin McKee when Logan Brown drove home Preston Falascino with an RBI single.

McKee was the beneficiary of the seventh-inning rally as he went the distance for the Lakers in the opener. He allowed a run on three hits, walked three, and struck out nine to improve to 2-0 on the season. In his two starts this season, McKee has allowed four hits in 14 innings and has struck out 18 batters.

Oglesby suffered the hard-luck loss to fall to 1-1 on the season. He gave up two runs on six hits, walked one, and struck out five.

Morrison and Marinelli led the Laker offense with a pair of hits apiece.

Redshirt senior Jon Klein took the bump in game two and, like McKee, threw his second straight gem to start his season. The big righthander went six and one-third innings and allowed an unearned run on two hits. He walked one and struck out nine to improve to 2-0 on the young campaign.

The visitors jumped in front in the top of the second when Alex Bell, who led off the inning with a single, eventually scored on a passed ball.

The Lakers tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth against Slippery Rock starter, Kyle Schneider. Junior Brendan Cox led off the inning with a single but was forced out on a fielder's choice by Popio. After Saia flew out to left, Morrison singled and then Alonge singled to drive home Popio from second, knotting the contest at 1-1.

Mercyhurst broke the deadlock with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alonge had an RBI single to break the tie and then Marinelli, who pinch hit for junior Dan Karstedt, came through with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Junior Stephen Scaccia finished the scoring with a squeeze bunt to bring home Alonge.

Klein got the first out of the seventh and then was removed after giving up a one-out single. Junior Jake Hall got the final two outs for his second save of the season.

Mercyhurst outhit Slippery Rock, 10-2, in the nightcap with Cox, Morrison, and Alonge each collecting a pair of hits. Bell had both of Slippery Rock's hits in the loss.

The Lakers are scheduled to play a non-conference doubleheader at Malone on Tuesday, March 17. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.