Pitt-Johnstown's Dylan Heid out-dueled Mercyhurst's Michael McDonough, and Lennox Pugh's two-run single helped the Mountain Cats take game one of Friday's PSAC Western Division doubleheader in Erie, 2-1.  The Lakers came back with a 4-1 win in the nightcap to get the split.  Pitt-Johnstown is now 8-6 overall and 4-2 in conference-play heading into Saturday's doubleheader with Mercyhurst at Sargent's Stadium at the Point.
 
In game one, Strong pitching from Heid and Lennox Pugh's two-run single in the second provided Pitt-Johnstown all the scoring it needed in the 2-1 win.
 
In the Pitt-Johnstown top of the second, Wil Fetrow reached on a Mercyhurst error and moved to third on Asher Corl's double to left field.  Pugh then followed with a two-run single to center to give the Mountain Cats a 2-0 lead.
 
The Lakers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth off of Mountain Cat starter Dylan Heid to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Mercyhurst loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Austin Hammerle, who entered the game in relief of Heid in the top of the frame, struck out Troy Banks to pick up his first save and preserve the 2-1 Pitt-Johnstown victory.
 
Heid allowed one unearned run, scattered three singles, fanned 10, and walked one over the first six innings to improve to 4-0.  Hammerle was able to work out of the seventh inning jam with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Pugh singled and drove in two, while Corl doubled and single for the Mountain Cats.  Tyler Treese added a pinch-hit base hit for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Michael McDonough suffered the loss for Mercyhurst after giving up two runs (1 earned) on two hits.  McDonough struck out eight and walked one.
 
In game two, Mercyhurst erased a 1-0 deficit with two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to get the split with the 4-1 win.
 
Pitt-Johnstown took a 1-0 lead with three straight hits to start the top of the fourth.  Jake Ansell and Dylan Broderick both singled, Tyler Smith's RBI base hit to left scored Ansell.
 
Mercyhurst answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to go in front on RBI singles from Casimer Sobaszek and Troy Banks.
 
Matthew Gibson drove home Tyler Zaluski and Luke Baranchak with two insurance runs off of Mountain Cat reliever Antonio Caporossi in the Lakers' bottom half of the sixth.
 
Jack Goonan struck out two in a perfect top of the seventh to earn his fourth save of the season.
 
Chase Stewart earned the win in relief and is now 2-0.
 
Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Ansell and Broderick each had hits for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Joel Colledge got the start and fell to 1-2 after surrendering three runs on five hits over the first 5.1 innings.  Colledge struck out seven and walk two.
 
With the split, Mercyhurst is now 12-6 overall and 3-3 in the PSAC West.
 
The Mountain Cats host Mercyhurst to close out the four-game home-and-home PSAC West series on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Sargent's Stadium at the Point, before hosting Indiana (PA) for a pair of conference games on Friday.