Box Score WEST LAWN, Pa. – Mercyhurst (43-12) used a 12-hit attack in a 4-1 win over Shepherd University (39-15) in action at the NCAA II Atlantic Regional Baseball Tournament on Sunday night at Owls Park at Ted Palka Field. The loss eliminated Shepherd from regional action.

Shepherd took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as junior third baseman Brandon Kirk (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West/Mercer CC) reached on an single and later scored on a single off the bat of junior outfielder Jacob Carney (Stephens City, Va./Sherando).

Mercyhurst plated a pair of runs in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Sabatino DiNardo led off with a double and scored on a triple by Jimmy Latona. Collin Fantaskey followed with a sacrifice fly to score Latona.

The Lakers added a pair of runs in the ninth. Fantaskey singled and later scored when Chris Gonzalez reached on an error. Austin Alonge walked and scored on a single by Hank Morrison.

Carney went 3-for-4 and drove in a run to pace the Rams.

Daniel Elliott, Alonge, Morrison, and Gonzalez each had a pair of hits for the Lakers.

Joe Gnacinzki ((7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 7 Ks, 3 BB) (8-1) earned the win for the Lakers. Jake Hall (2.0 IP, 1 H, 4 Ks, 1 BB) notched his fourth save of the year. Senior starter Jamie Driver (Broad Run, Va./Kettle Run) (5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) (7-5) took the loss for the Rams.

Mercyhurst advances to the championship round on Monday against Millersville.

Notes: Shepherd's 39 wins tie the single season mark set in 1997, 2014, and 2015 … the Rams won two games in regional play for the first time since 2002 when they went 3-2 … Tre Porter's 19 home runs on the year tie Charlie Drummond (2004) for the second best single season mark with Nathan Minnick hitting a record 21 round-trippers in 2012… Porter's 66 runs scored this season are the third-most in program history (Collin Brown, 2006 and Nathan Minnich, 2012) … JJ Sarty's 38 stolen bases on the year surpassed the old mark of 28 shared by Michael Lott (2013) and Kyle Porter (2014).