Box Score Kenny Durling was just a triple shy of the cycle and he and Julian Faria hit back-to-back home runs in top of the third to lead the Misericordia University baseball team to an 8-3 victory over Wilkes in Freedom Conference action at Artillery Field on Friday evening.
 
Durling went 3-5 with two RBI while Faria was 2-4 with three RBI to lead the Cougars' offense. Joe Tagliarini also hit a two-run home run while Chris Boroch added a pair of hits.
 
Ryan Dorosh improved to 5-0 on the season, scattering five hits and three runs while striking out six over five and one-third innings. Cory Vogeli had another strong relief appearance on the mound earning his third save of the season by allowing just two hits and striking out six in three and two-thirds innings.
 
Kyle Lindsay opened the game with a leadoff single and advanced to second when Steve Sulcoski drew a walk. Faria would hit a big two-out double to score Lindsay and give MU (29-8, 16-3 Freedom) an early 1-0 lead.
 
Following a quick second inning, Andrew Tressa drew a one-out walk to give the Cougars a baserunner. After Sulcoski flew out to center, Durling smashed a home run to left center field and Faria followed with a solo shot of his own to left to give the Cougars a 4-0 advantage.
 
Dorosh walked the leadoff batter in the top of the third and then hit Bobby Schappell with a pitch to give Wilkes (20-13, 9-10) a quick threat in the bottom of the third. A Carmen LoPresto single loaded the bases, and Dorosh hit Stephen Ruch with a pitch to give Wilkes a run with just one out. Dorosh got some help from the Cougar defense, as the Cougars turned a much needed 4-6-3 double play to get out of the inning with a 4-1 lead.
 
Boroch doubled with one out in the top of the fourth but was left on base, and Wilkes added another run with Tyler Marino hit a one-out double and scored on a Tom Ring single to left center to cut the deficit to 4-2.
 
Ryan Cacchioli drew a walk to lead off the sixth, setting up Tagliarini's two-run home run to left center that pushed the MU lead to 6-2.
 
Wilkes made another strong push in the bottom of the sixth, as Dan Pisanchyn earned a one-out walk and moved to third when Joe Dantas doubled down the left field line. A Marino single scored pinch runner Chris Talipski to make the score 6-3 and leave runners on the corners with just one out. However, Vogeli (below) came in to relieve Dorosh and immediately made an impact, striking out the next two batters to end the inning.
 

Tressa was hit by his school-record 16^th pitch of the year to lead off the seventh and moved to second and then third on a wild pitch and a passed ball. A Sulcoski walk placed runners on the corners, and the Cougars scored Tressa when Sulcoski was thrown out at second on a double steal attempt, extending the MU lead to 7-3.
 
After Vogeli added two more strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth, the Cougars added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Sulcoski led the inning with a single and moved to third on a Durling double down the left field line. A Faria sacrifice fly would send Sulcoski home to make it an 8-3 game, and Vogeli retired the side with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
 
Marino and Ring were both 2-4 with an RBI to lead Wilkes while AJ Mihaly took the loss on the mound.
 
The Cougars host Wilkes tomorrow in a 1:00 PM doubleheader with Freedom post-season implications. With today's win and a DeSales win over King's, the Cougars remain tied with the Bulldogs atop the Freedom standings at 16-3. DeSales hold the tiebreaker via a 2-1 advantage in the season series.
 
Misericordia University will officially dedicate Tambur Field immediately following the completion of game one.
 
Tomorrow is also MU's senior appreciation day. The Cougars will honor their 14 seniors (Pete Doggett, Kenny Durling, Andy Gonzalez, Ron Guido, Mike Impellittiere, Bubba Jasinski, Matt Karabin, Dylan Mazzo, Will Minderjahn, Evan Robaczewski, Justin Shuleski, Steve Sulcoski, Andrew Tressa and Max Weintraub) between contests.