CARY, N.C. – After arriving on Thursday morning for the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship, the Mercyhurst University baseball team finally had its opportunity to compete in the program's first-ever National Finals game.

Now, the Lakers have their first victory at the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship.

Junior Brendan Cox delivered the go-ahead RBI single with one out in the top of the eleventh inning to snap a 1-1 tie and lift Mercyhurst to a 3-1 victory over Truman State on Sunday afternoon at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Mercyhurst improved to 40-9 on the season and advances to the winner's bracket while the Bulldogs dropped to 35-21 and fall to the loser's bracket.

Redshirt senior Ryan Siegel started the rally with a one-out single to left center and then stole second against Truman State reliever Peter Young (3-1). Cox then laced a single to left center on a 2-2 pitch to drive home Siegel for the go-ahead run. Cox stole second and junior Hank Morrison followed with a walk to put runners at first and second. Junior Austin Alonge reached on an infield single and when the throw from shortstop Blake Deaton got away, Cox scamperd home from third.

It marks the third time in program history that Mercyhurst has recorded 40 victories in a season. The school-record is 42 set during the 2011 campaign.

Junior closer Jake Hall put two runners on in the 11th, but battled out of another jam to close the books on the program's first-ever win in the Division II National Finals. Hall got the victory in relief and improved to 1-1 on the season. He entered with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Truman State loaded the bases on three consecutive walks.

Redshirt sophomore Colin McKee got the ball on Sunday afternoon after pitching lights out in his three playoff starts to date. This postseason, McKee is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA, allowing 13 hits In 20.2 innings, while striking out 30 batters. It was an interesting first couple of innings for McKee, but he kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard as he fought off expected jitters after getting the ball in the program's first-ever NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship game.

After Mercyhurst went 1-2-3 in the top half of the first inning, McKee struggled with his command in the home half. He hit a batter, walked a batter, and uncorked two wild pitches but still managed to keep Truman State from scoring after leaving runners stranded at second and third. McKee certainly got some breaks in the frame – getting a batters' interference on a bunt attempt and a swinging strikeout that bounced away from senior catcher Jake Marinelli but hit Dave Gambino in the foot to constitute a dead ball.

Mercyhurst made Truman State pay for not cashing in with a single run in the top of the second inning. Junior left fielder Hank Morrison tripled down the right field line with one out and then scored when Alonge lifted a fly ball to right field for the game's first run.

McKee settled down after the shaky start, pitching around a two-out walk in the second and then retiring the Bulldogs in order in the third and the fourth innings, collecting three strikeouts during the stretch.

Truman State finally broke up McKee's no-hit bid with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when TJ Wood looped a double into left center field. Wood lifted it over the outstretched arm of senior shortstop Angel Martinez and hustled out of the box from the start, beating the throw from Siegel with a headfirst slide into second. The hustle by Wood paid off  when Zak Larkin singled him home on a 2-2 pitch. McKee got Deaton to line up out to right to end the frame.

Mercyhurst got runners on first and second with one out in the top of the seventh on a single from Alonge and a walk to Marinelli. But, Truman State starter Cody Gardner wiggled out of the jam, getting freshman Daniel Elliott to pop out and sophomore Cameron Balego to ground out to end the threat.

Gardner was sensational for Truman State, going nine innings and allowing one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out three.

McKee hit Jarod Hahn to lead off the Truman State half of the frame and then exited after Fones bunted him to second. Junior reliever Ben Nolan came on in relief and promptly walked Wood to put runners at first and second with one out for the top of the order. But, Nolan retired Larkin and Deaton on strikes to retire the side.

McKee went 6.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out six but did hit three batters in the no-decision.

Nolan remained in the game and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, recording a pair of strikeouts and a lazy fly ball to left.

But, after the Lakers were retired in order in the top of the ninth inning, Truman State put runners at first and second on a pair of walks against Nolan to end his afternoon. Freshman lefthander Matthew Minnick came on in relief and walked the left-handed hitting Wood to load the bases with one out.

On came junior closer and Atlantic Region Tournament MVP, Jake Hall, to try to squirm out of trouble. Mercyhurst brought both the infield and the outfield in to attempt to cut down the runner at home.

Hall didn't need it.

The closer came back from 3-0 down to strike out Larkin looking and then Deaton tried to catch the Lakers off guard with a bunt. But, Marinelli easily grabbed the ball and stepped on the plate to send the game to extras.

Mercyhurst pitchers, uncharacteristically, walked seven batters and hit three more as Truman State left 13 runners on base against Laker pitching. Nolan walked three and struck out four in two innings of work. Hall finished by going 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two.

Mercyhurst had only seven hits in the contest, with Alonge the only Laker with more than one. Truman State could muster just four hits, two by Wood.

The Lakers will play again at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, against the University of Tampa.Tampa also won its 40th game of the season late Sunday with a 7-4 decision over Cal Poly Pomona in a game that took ten innings.