WEST LAWN, Pa. – Drew Delsignore drove in four runs and Chris Vallimont struck out 12 batters over eight shutout innings to power the Mercyhurst baseball team to a 5-0 win over Bloomsburg in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional at Owls Field Thursday evening into early Friday morning.

The Lakers (33-13) advance in the winners' bracket to face the region's top seed, West Chester, in tomorrow's second game scheduled to begin after Shepherd vs. Millersville. That first game begins at 10 a.m.

Bloomsburg (32-18) drops to the losers' bracket where they await the winner of tomorrow's third game, West Chester vs. Seton Hill, on Saturday.

The Lakers put together its most solid performance of the postseason in all aspects of the game, beginning with timely hitting early on in the game.

Delsignore had a bases-clearing triple off Bloomsburg starter Asthon Raines to plate the Lakers' first three runs in the top of the third inning.

He drove in another run on an RBI single in the fourth inning to make it 4-0. Daniel Elliott added an extra insurance run in the eighth inning to score Delsignore.

Delsignore set the pace for the Lakers' offense with three hits in five at-bats and accounting for all five of the Lakers' runs (4 RBI, 1 run).

Vallimont was on his game once again with 12 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings for his ninth win of the season (9-2). He allowed only four hits and walked three while throwing 133 pitches in the shutout.

Adam Jeannette relieved Vallimont in the ninth inning to lock down the five-run win by retiring three-straight batters.

Dominic Cecere and Jimmy Standohar were the only other Lakers aside from Delsignore to reach base at least twice. Cecere drew three walks and had a base hit to go with two runs scored in his first start since April 10. Standohar was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.

The Lakers played an errorless game while the Huskies committed two blunders. They improved to 28-3 this season when outhitting their opponents.