The Misericordia University baseball team opened MAC Freedom play with a sweep at FDU-Florham, 11-4, 5-3.

In the opener, Tyler Holzapfel and Alec Iurato combined for six hits and five RBI and Jake Kurtz worked three shutout innings to earn the save.

Garrett Pelko scattered seven hits over four innings to pick up the win.

Holzapfel had three hits, including a double and a homer, and drove in three runs while Iurato had three hits and two RBI.

Alec St. Pier and Jeremy DeCotiis both had two hits and Conor Smith had a hit and scored three runs.

In the nightcap, Scott Carton had a two-run double and Tim Burek struck out five in six innings to earn the win.  Zach Mason struck out two in a perfect seventh to pick up the save.

In game one, the Cougars took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.  Kenny Jarema opened the game with a single and moved up on Conor Smith's walk before scoring on Iurato's single to left.  Holzapfel made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly and St. Pier added an RBI-single to left.

FDU answered with two runs in their half of the first and MU added four runs in the third.  Holzapfel led off the third with a homer to center field.  Santo Guinta reached on an error and moved to third on St. Pier's double to left.  Jeremy DeCotiis was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Parker Abate singled up the middle with one out to make it 6-2.  The Cougars added a run on an FDU error to go up, 7-2.

The Devils pulled within 7-4 with a pair of runs in the fifth, but the Cougars put the game away with three runs in the sixth.

After Iurato's sacrifice fly scored Smith, Holzapfel and Guinta both singled before St. Pier walked to load the bases.  DeCotiis singled to left field to drive in two runs for a 10-4 lead.

Smith drew a one-out walk in the seventh and advanced on a wild pitch before coming around on Holzapfel's double to right center.

Abate made a leaping grab while tumbling over the wall to save a home run on the first batter in the bottom of the seventh.

The Devils took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the nightcap and the Cougars pulled even in the fourth.  Iurato led off the fourth with a walk and moved to third one out later when Guinta reached on an error.  Carton's two-out double to left plated two runs to tie it.

MU went ahead with another two-out run in the fifth.  Jarema drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a single by DeCotiis.  With two down, Holzapfel singled to right to make it a 3-2 lead.

FDU tied in their half of the fifth and the Cougars went ahead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth.  St. Pier drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Steve Weisensee.  Jonathan Juri pinch-ran and scored the go-ahead run on an infield single by Abate.

Abate went to third on a single by Billy Kerwein and came home on Jarema's squeeze bunt.

Pitching in his hometown, Mason sandwiched a pair of strikeouts to close out the game.

MU, 9-4, is scheduled to host Ramapo, Monday.