ERIE, Pa. – A pair of Gannon University baseball pitchers logged dominant complete-game performances against rival Mercyhurst University on Saturday to sweep the first two games of this weekend's four-game set, 4-3 and 1-0. In game one, Deven Judy (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) threw seven strong innings and struck out 12, surrendering only three runs on two home run balls by the Lakers to win his third game of 2022. Eric Sapp (Deerfield, Ohio/Southeast) took the mound in game two and delivered a historic third consecutive complete-game shutout, blanking Mercyhurst 1-0 and striking out a career-high 15 batters to improve his record to 4-0. Sapp is the first Gannon pitcher in the modern Sidearm stats era (post-2000) to earn three straight shutouts—and the first to notch three straight complete games since way back in the 2013 season, when Shayne Herold threw five consecutive complete games to wrap up his collegiate career, with only one of those starts being a shutout.
 
The Knights' pitching was not the only bright spot of the day, however, as Ian Hess (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) smashed a walk-off single to win game one, scoring Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn that victory. Brandon Wetherholt (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) also came through with a clutch two-run single to tie the game 2-2 in the third inning to keep Gannon in the game. The only run of game two was created in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Kieran Gagnon (Mono, Ontario/Westside) roped a bases-loaded single into right field that also plated Vega.
 
Gannon (11-4 overall, 3-1 PSAC) has now won five straight home games at McConnell Family Stadium versus the Lakers (13-5, 3-3 PSAC) dating back to the 2019 season. This weekend's series now shifts to Mercyhurst on Sunday, April 3 for another pair of games to wrap up the four-game set.
 
GAME ONE: GANNON 4, MERCYHURST 3

Deven Judy's (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) changeup was working wonders against the Mercyhurst lineup early in the game, pitching himself out of trouble but earning plenty of swings-and-misses. He struck out eight batters through the first three innings and was only tagged by eventual home runs by Josh Surowiec (a two-run blast to right center in the top of the third) and a Jack Elliot solo shot in the top of the seventh that tied the game, 3-3.
 
Down two runs, the Knights' offense equalized in the bottom of the third thanks to Brandon Wetherholt's (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) two-out, two-run single to right field to score Vega and Connor Rakow (Franklin, Pa./Franklin). Gannon manufactured the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth, as Kieran Gagnon (Mono, Ontario/Westside) drew a leadoff walk and made it to third after a wild pitch and a Cameron Vozel (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) groundout. Another wild pitch in the dirt allowed Gagnon to scamper home to make it a 3-2 game. Elliot's homer tied it 3-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, but Vega led off the frame with a single up the middle and used his speed to advance to third after a pair of wild pitches. Hess got a pitch he liked and sent it screaming down the left field line, easily scoring Vega to earn the walk-off win, 4-3. Judy's 12 strikeouts in the game were just two shy of equaling his career high of 14 (at West Chester during May of the 2019 season.)
 
GAME TWO: GANNON 1, MERCYHURST 0
 
Eric Sapp's (Deerfield, Ohio/Southeast) overpowering fastball told the tale of game two, as he found himself in a pitcher's duel with Mercyhurst's John Bufford. Both hurlers spun five scoreless innings each to begin the game and struck out 24 batters total. Sapp's 15 strikeouts set a new career-high for the graduate student, besting his previous total of 12 that was posted on April 15, 2019 versus IUP.
 
Gannon finally got to Bufford in the sixth, after Vega drew a walk and stole second, which caused a chain reaction of free bases. Ryan Kalbfus (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) was intentionally walked to put men on first and second, but after a successful double steal, Wetherholt was also intentionally walked to load the bases. Gagnon (who had entered the game back in the third inning) stepped in and delivered what turned out to be the game-winning hit, singling to right field and scoring Vega for the only run of the game. Sapp did the rest, dialing up three strikeouts in the seventh to retire the Lakers in order.