The Misericordia University baseball team totaled 24 hits as the Cougars won their fifth straight, 19-14 over Ursinus, Tuesday in Ft. Pierce, FL.

Five different MU players had at least three hits, led by an outstanding all-around performance by freshman Joe Tagliarini (4-for-6, 2 RBIs, 4 runs scored, 3 stolen bases). Sophomores Dylan Mazzo (4-for-5, triple, 5 RBIs) and Kenny Durling (4-for-6, 4 RBIs, 2 runs scored) were also on fire for the Cougars.

Junior Jeff Slanovec was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and scored three times as well. Sophomore Andrew Tressa was 3-for-7, and freshman Ryan Cacchioli was 2-for-4 with a triple and 2 RBIs.

The first four MU batters of the day recorded hits. Cacchioli led off with a double and was brought home by Mazzo. Tressa singled and scored on a Durling double, and Durling eventually come around as well for a 4-0 Misericordia lead.

The Bears answered with four runs of their own in bottom of the first, but MU surged ahead with a Cacchioli sacrifice fly in the second and three runs in the third (spearheaded by Slanovec's double to score Durling and Nate Newman).

Durling also came up big on the defensive end on several occasions, throwing out a man at home following a sacrifice fly attempt to preserve an 8-7 Misericordia lead, after Ursinus had scored three times in the bottom of the third. He later made a fantastic full-extension diving catch in the seventh. Mazzo also made a great play at third, diving to stop a grounder and throwing the man out in the fifth inning.

Two Cougar errors allowed Ursinus to take its first lead with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth. MU answered immediately in the fifth, as Slanovec (on an error), Chris Tuttle, Tagliarini, Cacchioli and Mazzo all reached base consecutively en route to four more runs and a 12-10 Misericordia lead.

MU stretched its lead in the sixth, when Tagliarini singled in Andres Gonzalez and Mazzo brought home Slanovec and Tagliarini.

The Bears were down 16-12 in the bottom of the eighth, but rallied for four runs to make it interesting. Sophomore Matthew Karabin came in and pitched 1.2 hitless innings to shut the door, and MU added three insurance runs in the ninth.

Freshman Tim Brubaker earned his first win with 3.2 solid innings of relief. The Cougars are 5-2, including a 5-0 mark in Florida, and will face Elizabethtown tomorrow.