MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team received stellar pitching for the second straight day en route to a second consecutive doubleheader sweep of Lock Haven University on Sunday afternoon at Myrtle Beach High School. The Lakers took game one by a 2-1 final and then won the second game by a 6-2 score to improve to 4-0 on the season. The Bald Eagles dropped to 0-4 overall.

On Saturday, Laker pitchers combined to allow one unearned run on three hits in 9-1 and 10-0 victories. On Sunday, Mercyhurst pitchers allowed two earned runs on ten hits in the two victories.

All told, in the four-game sweep, Mercyhurst pitchers went 4-0 with a 0.64 earned run average and limited the Bald Eagles to a .134 batting average. The staff issued six walks and struck out a combined 39 batters during the weekend.

In game one on Sunday, junior Matthew Jaskolka, making his first start as a Laker, allowed one run on five hits in five innings of work to pick up his first win in a Mercyhurst uniform. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter. Junior Jake Hall came on in relief after the Lakers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth and pitched two perfect innings, including three strikeouts, for his first save.

Lock Haven took its first lead of the weekend on an RBI single by Austin Botts in the top of the first inning against Jaskolka. Mercyhurst answered in the bottom of the third when junior Austin Alonge reached on an error that allowed senior Giancarlo Saia to score against Lock Haven starter Jacob Belinda.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Lakers took the lead on an RBI single by Alonge, driving home junior Dan Popio for the go-ahead run.

Belinda suffered the loss despite allowing only three Mercyhurst hits in four and two-thirds innings. He did, however, walk eight Mercyhurst batters during his outing.

Lock Haven outhit Mercyhurst, 5-3, in the opener. Alonge, junior Hank Morrison, and redshirt senior Ryan Siegel had the hits for the Lakers.

In game two, junior Cam Knott got the ball and allowed four hits in five scoreless innings. Like Jaskolka in the opener, he struck out eight and did not issue a walk. Redshirt senior was touched up for both Lock Haven runs (one earned) in the sixth inning while senior Kyle Hagerich closed out the contest with a perfect seventh.

Senior Angel Martinez belted a leadoff home run to left field to jump start the Laker offense in the bottom of the first inning. Mercyhurst then scored four times in the second to give Knott breathing room. Martinez put the Lakers ahead 2-0 with an RBI single that drove home junior Dan Karstedt, who started the rally with a base hit. Siegel made it 3-0 with an RBI single, driving home junior Stephen Scaccia. Siegel promptly stole second, but the throw from Lock Haven catcher Kolton VonKiel got away which allowed Martinez to score. Junior Brendan Cox finished the inning with an RBI double, driving home Siegel.

Popio gave Mercyhurst its other run with a solo blast to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning - his first home run as a Laker.

Lock Haven scored its two runs in the top of the sixth against Bray on an RBI single from Ethan Moore and a passed ball.

Parker Watson suffered the loss for the Bald Eagles after allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out six. Moore was 3-for-3 at the dish in the loss.

Cox and Martinez had two hits apiece and combined for half of the Lakers' eight hits.  Martinez also drove home a game-high two runs.

Mercyhurst will return to action on Monday, March 9 with a single, nine-inning game at Coker College. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Hartsville, South Carolina.