The Misericordia University baseball opened the season with a doubleheader split at Shenandoah in battle of nationally-ranked teams, Monday.

The #11 Cougars took the opener, 6-0, while #7 Shenandoah won the nightcap, 5-1.

Joe Valenti tossed a three-hit shutout and Garrett McIlhenney and Jack Regenye had two hits in the opener.

Brock Bollinger had a two-run double.

Owen Cordner had two hits and Joe Comins drove in the lone run in the nightcap.

In the opener, the Cougars broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of fifth.  Comins singled through the right side with out in the fifth and moved to second on Gabe Bunn's single through the right side.

McIlhenney drove in the first run on an infield single and Bunn came around on an error on the play to make it 2-0.

MU added four insurance runs in the top of the seventh.  Jared Hoffman led off the top of the seventh with a walk and pinch-runner Ethan Elmes moved up on a sacrifice bunt.  Cordner, McIlhenney and Regenye drew three straight walks to force in a run and Bollinger made it 5-0 with a two-run double down the left field line.

Jason Sanfilippo drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly to left.

Valenti retired the side in order to end the game.

Shenandoah led 4-0 after two innings in game two and added an insurance run in the fifth.

The Cougars scored their lone run in the top of the sixth.  Bollinger singled up the middle and Sanfilippo was hit by a pitch.  After the Hornets turned a double play, Comins singled through the right side to get MU on the board.