Dylan Broderick launched a three-run home run and
Austin Hammerle pitched three scoreless innings in relief, including working out of a bases loaded, no-out jam, to help Pitt-Johnstown bounce back from a 14-0 loss in Friday's PSAC West opener at Mercyhurst with a 5-2 victory in the nightcap. The Mountain Cats are now 13-21 overall and 6-8 in the PSAC West.
In game one, Chris Juchno connected for a two-run homer, and Luke Jackson followed with a solo shot off of Pitt-Johnstown starter
Ben Briggs in the bottom of the first inning to give Mercyhurst the early lead.
The Lakers scored an unearned run in the second on Matt Christopher's squeeze bunt, before Mercyhurst added three more in the third, including Jackson's two-run home run, that pushed it out to 7-0.
Mitchell Grosch led off the Mercyhurst fourth with a homer, and the Lakers tacked on two more in the fifth on their way to the 14-0 win.
Broderick and
Mario Disso each had two hits, while
Jake Ansell and
Josh Ulery added one hit apiece for the Mountain Cats.
Briggs slipped to 3-3 on the year after allowing 10 runs (9 earned) on 11 hits over the first 4.1 innings.
Jared Hoener tossed the final 1.2 innings and gave up four runs (3 earned) on four hits.
In game two, Pitt-Johnstown took a 1-0 lead on
Erik Rhodes' two out double that scored
Josh Ulery in the top of the fourth, but Mercyhurst answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame off of Mountain Cat starter
Rodney Shultz.
That leads didn't last long because Broderick connected for a three-run homer in the top of the fifth that gave the lead back to Pitt-Johnstown, 4-2.
Mercyhurst loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Hammerle entered the game and got the next three hitters in keep the Lakers off the scoreboard and hold the two-run lead.
Disso's sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh added an insurance run for Pitt-Johnstown, and Hammerle pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to preserve the 5-2 win and earn his second save of the year.
Shultz got the no decision after holding the Lakers to two runs on six hits, while striking out seven and walking one in over the first four innings. Hammerle pitched three scoreless innings, allowed two hits and fanned four.
Broderick went 2-for-3 with the three-run homer, Rhodes doubled and drove in one, and Ulery doubled for the Mountain Cats.
With the split, Mercyhurst is now 18-9 overall and 12-2 in the PSAC West.
The Mountain Cats will complete the four-game PSAC West series against Mercyhurst with a pair of games on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at Point Stadium, before hosting a non-conference game against Shippensburg on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
