Kenny Durling had five hits on the day as the Misericordia University baseball team defeated FDU-Florham twice to sweep the season series from the Devils in Madison, NJ on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cougars (19-5, 9-1) took game one 6-2 before winning the nightcap 12-7.
 
FDU-Florham (10-12, 6-5) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first in game one as Frank LaGuarina hit a two-run home run off Will Minderjahn- his second homer of the series.
 
The Cougars got one run back in the top of the second, as Kenny Durling singled and later scored to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Minderjahn settled in on the mound from that point, allowing just one hit over the next three innings, and the Cougars gave him the run support he needed as an Andrew Tressa single in the top of the third scored Bubba Jasinski and Chris Boroch to give MU its first lead of the game at 3-2.
 
MU extended its lead to 5-2 in the sixth inning. Durling and Ryan Cacchioli hit back-to-back one-out singles, and both scored when Julian Faria came up with a big two-out hit.
 
The Cougars tacked on one more insurance run in the top of the seventh when a Tressa single scored Boroch, who reached on a hit by pitch.
 
Minderjahn scattered five hits and two runs over seven innings of action while striking out three to earn the victory. Tressa was 2-4 with three RBI in game one while Durling went 2-3.
 
AJ Pichalski took the game one loss for the Devils, allowing six hits and six runs (three earned) in seven innings. LaGuarina and Brandan Adams each had two hits for FDU.
 
The Cougars struck first in game two when Steve Sulcoski followed up a Tressa single with a double of his own to score Tressa and give MU an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
 
FDU-Florham responded, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a Nick Core RBI-single and a Austin Tomaszewicz bases-loaded walk.
 
That lead would be short-lived, as the Cougars retook the lead for good in the bottom of the second. Joe Tagliarini was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a Boroch single and Boroch advanced to second on the throw to third. Tagliarini would score on a Mike Comerford RBI-groundout to even the score at 2-2, and Boroch would score on a throwing error to give MU a 3-2 lead through two innings.
 
MU scored three more in the top of the third. Tressa walked to lead off the inning and scored on a Durling triple. Tagliarini earned a two-out walk, and a Boroch single scored Durling to extend the lead to 5-2. Tagliarini then advanced to score when the Devils' pitcher threw the ball away trying to pick Boroch off at second.
 
Durling extended the Cougar lead to 8-2 in the top of the fourth when he singled to score Tressa and Paul Shepherd. The Cougars would score four more in the top of the fifth. Tagliarini opened the inning with a walk and then stole second, enabling him to score on a Comerford single.  Kyle Lindsay and Tressa both walked to load the bases, and Sulcoski drew an RBI walk to make the score 10-2. Durling  singled to score both Lindsay and Tressa before the Devils finally got out of the inning on a strikeout.
 
FDU would score one run in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 12-3. The Devils then took advantage of a Cougar error in the bottom of the seventh after MU had pulled the majority of its starters.
 
Durling went 3-4 with 5 RBI in game two to lead the MU attack while Comerford was 2-3 with 2 RBI. Boroch also went 2-3 with an RBI while Sulcoski was 1-2 with 2 RBI.
 
Pete Doggett earned the win on the mound for MU,  allowing five hits and three runs over six innings while striking out seven. Keith Jennings allowed four runs in one-third inning of relief while Jim Tunison came in to throw the final two outs for the Cougars.
 
Jake Hazen took the loss for FDU-Florham, allowing six hits and six runs in three innings of play. LaGuarina and Kyle Herron each had two hits for the Devils.
 
The Cougars return to action tomorrow, hosting DeSales at 1:00 PM in an important Freedom Conference doubleheader.