NIAGARA FALLS, NY — The D'Youville University baseball team erased a pair of 5-1 and 4-1 deficits to sweep a non-conference doubleheader over the Mansfield University Mountaineers on Tuesday afternoon as they wrapped up their 2023 home schedule.

Game One: DYU 9, MU 6

• After a quick first three innings that saw just a combined one hit, MU got on the board after a one-out, 2-run HR to left in the fourth.
• The first two DYU hitters were retired in the bottom of the frame before Jon Simpson recorded the Saints' first hit of the game with two outs.
• Blaise Kolbert stepped in next and ripped an RBI single to right field to cut the margin in half, 2-1 MU.
• MU answered quickly with a hit by pitch and a double to bump the lead back to two, 3-1, in the fifth.
• Later in the inning, a two-out, 2-run infield single, due in part to a Saints' mishap, allowed MU to extend the advantage to 5-1.
• Dillon Crook and Craig Oliver began the bottom of the inning with a single and walk respectively before MU committed a throwing error on Hunter Nowak's sacrifice bunt to load the bases with no outs.
• Ethan Hammond followed with a 2-RBI single to right, once again trimming the deficit in half, 5-3.
• Nowak later scored on a wild pitch, 5-4, before Simpson's double to left brought Hammond home as DYU tied the game at 5-5.
• Simpson scored on another wild pitch as DYU put up a 5-spot in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead.
• MU once again responded right away with back-to-back singles to start the frame followed by a double that knotted the game 6-all.
• It was the Saints' turn to respond in the sixth as back-to-back doubles from Howak and Hammond nudged DYU ahead 7-6 before Simpson launched a 2-run shot to left to give DYU some insurance runs at 9-6.
• MU made it interesting in the seventh as a walk and a pair of singles got the tying run aboard with one out before Samuel Worthen got the next two batters to pop up and strike out respectively to earn the save.

Inside the Numbers:

• Ryan McCarthy (ND) 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 Ks
• Kolbert: W (2-0) 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 Ks, 2-4, 2B, RBI
• Simpson: 3-4, HR (8), 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs, 3 R
• Worthen: SV (6) IP, 2 H, BB, 2 Ks

Game Two: DYU 9, MU 4

• Morris' 2-out single up the middle gets DYU on the board first in the opening inning, 1-0.
• 5-of-6 hits to start the second for MU helped them score four runs to go up 4-1 after two innings of play.
• An inning-starting error on a pop fly to right in the fourth turned the tides as a double by Simpson and a RBI groundout by Alex Dzimian, pulled the Saints within one, 4-3.
• After a Crook hit by pitch and steal, Jeremy Glinski's 2-out single through the left side, tied the game at 4-4.
• Nowak plated Glinski on a single through the left side before Morris' triple in the right center gap brought both Nowak and Hammond home as DYU scored six unearned runs in the fourth to retake the lead, 7-4.
• That was all the Saints needed as they added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on their way to a 9-4 game two win.

Inside the Numbers:

• Kyle Blunt served as the opener: (ND) 1 IP, 0 H
• Kyle Nash: W (2-1) 3 2/3 IP, H, BB
• Morris: 3-4, 3B, 4 RBIs
• Hammond: 2-3, 2 2Bs, 2 R, BB, RBI
• Nowak: 2-4, 2 R, RBI

The Saints return to East Coast Conference play on Friday, April 28^th  when they head to NYC to play the first of four against NCBWA East Region 7th-ranked Queens (N.Y.) at 3:30 pm.