The Misericordia University baseball team split a doubleheader at Wilkes, Saturday.

The Cougars took the opener, 2-1, but their rally fell short in a 9-8 loss in the nightcap.

Kyle Lennon had two hits in the opener and Brady Madden had an RBI-triple to drive in the winning run.

Tom Jacob allowed just two hits over six innings to earn the win and Tyler Leonard worked a perfect seventh to pick up his first career save.

Shane Hughes had two hits and four RBI in the second game and Mike Murphy added two hits and two RBI.

Dante Salerno had two hits as the Cougars rallied from a 7-0, first-inning deficit.

David McCurry entered the game in the bottom of the first and allowed just two unearned runs in 4.1 innings of work and Justin Calvarese and Jared Kay combined for three shutout innings of relief.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth of the opener.  Hughes drew a one-out walk and moved up on Austin Miles' single through the right side.  Lennon reached on an infield single to load the bases and Joe Liscio was hit by a pitch to give the Cougars the lead.

Wilkes tied the score with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

The Cougars scored the winning run in the top of the seventh when Dalton Emerich drew a four-pitch walk and scored on Madden's two-out triple to left center.

Leonard retired the side in order on a strike out and two ground outs to earn his first save.

After Wilkes jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, the Cougars got two runs back in the fifth and added four more in the sixth.

Miles drew a lead-off walk in the fifth and went to third on Hughes' one-out single down the left field line.  Both runners came home on Murphy's single up the middle to make it 7-2.

Wilkes scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and the Cougars answered with four runs in their next at bat.

With two outs, Derrick Vosburg was hit by a pitch and Miles singled and Garrett McIlhenney walked to load the bases.  Hughes cleared the bases with a double to left center and Salerno made it 9-6 with an RBI-single.

Boylan reached via hit by pitch to open the ninth and Lennon walked before Owen VanNewKirk drove in a run with a double to left center.  McIlhenney was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Hughes made it 9-8 with a fielder's choice.

But, the threat ended with runners on second and third.

MU will host Wilkes, Sunday at noon.