CANTON, Ohio - The Mercyhurst University baseball team improved to 10-0 on the season after sweeping Malone University by the finals of 7-6 and 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Thurman Munson Stadium. The Pioneers dropped to 8-7 overall.

Mercyhurst jumped to a 2-0 lead in game one with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning against Malone starter, Joshua Hurford. The Lakers loaded the bases on a leadoff single by senior Angel Martinez, a walk to redshirt senior Ryan Siegel, and a junior Brendan Cox hit by pitch. Junior Dan Popio drove in the game's first run with a run-scoring fielder's choice. Senior Giancarlo Saia followed with an RBI double before Hurford retired the last two batters to avoid further trouble.

Malone's Brenden Wells tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run single against Laker reliever, junior Ben Nolan. The runs were charged to Mercyhurst's starter, senior Joe Gnacinski, who left with two outs in the frame.

The resilient Lakers took the lead for good with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Popio was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Saia walked, junior Hank Morrison drove home Popio with an RBI single to left.

Mercyhurst struck for four more runs in the top of the sixth inning to jump in front by a 7-2 margin. Saia had the big blow with a bases-clearing double to account for three of the four runs in the frame. Popio drove in the first run of the inning with a bases loaded walk.

Nolan and the Lakers had to hang on for dear life in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Froman cut the Laker lead to 7-4 with a one-out, two-run single. Then, after Nolan recorded the second out, the inning was prolonged when Martinez made an error at shortstop. Eventually, two more runs (both unearned) would cross the plate against Nolan, prompting head coach Joe Spano to call upon freshman lefthander Matthew Minnick to face Matt Wheeler with the bases loaded. Minnick got the lefty to bounce into a fielder's choice to end the contest and to keep the Lakers unbeaten.

It was Minnick's first collegiate save and gave Nolan his second win of the season. Nolan allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits in three innings. He walked three and struck out three. Gnacinski went the first 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits in the no-decision. He walked three and struck out five.

Martinez led the Lakers with three hits in four trips. He also scored a pair of runs. Saia went 2-for-2 and drove in four in the victory. Popio was 0-for-1 officially but walked twice, scored twice, and drove in a pair.

Wells led Malone by going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in.

In game two, the Pioneers scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first against redshirt senior starter, Jon Corbi. Richie Mast plated the Pioneers' only run of the game with an RBI single.

Mercyhurst tied the game at one in the top of the second when Saia led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a groundout by sophomore Cameron Balego, took third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a run-scoring groundout by junior Dan Karstedt.

The Lakers scored again in the third to take a 2-1 lead. Popio started the rally with a two-out double and then scored when Morrison reached on a throwing error.

Mercyhurst broke open the game when it scored four times in the top of the fifth inning to take a 6-1 advantage. Saia provided an RBI groundout and Balego had a run-scoring single to account for two of the runs. The others were scored on two Malone errors and a balk.

At that point, junior Mike Schnurr, who replaced Corbi on the mound with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, was in the game and was dealing. He slammed the door on the Pioneer offense and earned his first victory in a Laker uniform. In 3.1 innings, the righthander allowed one hit and one hit batsman. He struck out four.

Corbi went 3.2 innings and allowed a run on only two hits. However, the righthander walked five batters while striking out only two.

Popio had three hits in four trips and scored twice. Cox added two hits and a run scored in the victory.

Mercyhurst will jump back into conference play this weekend when it will play a pair of doubleheaders against Clarion University. Due to unplayable conditions in Clarion, all four games will be played at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field with Friday's twinbill serving as Clarion's "home" games. First pitch on both Friday and Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.