DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Southern Connecticut baseball swept Mercy, 7-2 and 5-3, in a doubleheader played in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The Owls have now won eight-straight games to open the season, giving them their longest winning streak since 2018. Mercy drops to 3-9 on the season.

Bill Sullivan collected five hits, including his first career home run in the first game of the twin bill, while also driving in three runs. Mike DeMartino also hit his team-leading second home run of the young season and the 16^th of his career. Tyshaun Diaz scored three runs in the second game.

Nick Guarino improved to 3-0 through his first three starts as an Owl after allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five over six innings. Steve Phillips picked up the win in the second d game after allow three runs in the first inning, before slamming the door on the Mavericks' offense over the next four innings. Phillips scattered seven hits over five innings while striking out five.

Tommy Hughes picked up the save in the second game after holding Mercy scoreless in three innings pitched. Hughes has now logged 9 1/3 innings and has yet to give up a hit or a run. In his first two appearances, only three batters have reached base, while none of them have reached second base.

Game 1: SCSU 7, Mercy 2 (7 Inn.)
In the first game, Southern went down in order through the first two innings, and through 2/3 of the third before Tyshaun Diaz walked for the Owls' first baserunner of the afternoon before Zach Bedryczuk lined out to end the inning.

The Owls finally broke through with a three-run fourth inning, highlighted by a lead-off homer by Bill Sullivan to tie the game at 1-1 before Izaiah Walker's come-backer to the mound was thrown away by Mercy's pitcher to allow Andrew Eng and Mike DeMartino to score to give the Owls a 3-1 lead.

In the 5^th, Southern pushed across four more runs to take a 7-1 lead. Zach Bedryczuk and Sullivan stroked back-to-back one-out singles before Eng worked a four-pitch walk. Connor Goggin then saw an eight-pitch at-bat end with a walk to force Bedryczuk home to give Southern a 4-1 lead. Sullivan was retired at home for the second out of the inning on DeMartino's ground ball back to the pitcher before Jack Drewry doubled down the right field line to plate two more runs. Walker then singled to score DeMartino and give the Owls a six-run lead.

Game 2: SCSU 5, Mercy 3 (9 Inn.)
Mercy jumped out to a lead with a three-run second inning. In the second, Diaz led off the inning with a double before moving to third on a ground-out by Bedryczuk. Sullivan then drove Diaz in with a single to center field.

In the fourth, DeMartino led off the inning and turned on the first pitch that saw for his second home run of the season to cut the Mavericks' lead to a run, 3-2. In the seventh, David Christoforo walked to lead off the inning before Chad Fedeli beat-out the throw on a sacrifice bunt for a base hit. With Jake Gruttadauria running for Christoforo and representing the tying run, Diaz hit a chopper to third that allowed Gruttadauria to move to third as Fedeli was retired at second on the fielder's choice by Diaz. Diaz then broke for second and on the throw-down, Gruttadauria broke for home to swipe the plate and tie the game at 3-3.

Bedryczuk kept the inning alive with a single through the left side of the infield, moving Diaz to third. Sullivan then drove him in with his fourth hit of the day to give the Owls a 4-3 lead. It was Diaz again in the top of the ninth, scoring on a passed ball, to give the Owls a 5-3 lead.