FORT PIERCE, Fla. - The Immaculata University baseball team extended its season-high win streak to five Friday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Northwestern (Minn.) behind strong outings from Billy Manzo and Gabe Hollenbach paired with Corey Pezak's continued torrid start at the plate to lift the Mighty Macs in game one, 14-4, before taking the back end of the doubleheader, 4-2.

Pezak was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate in game one - including a double and a triple - with four runs driven in to lead the Mighty Mac lineup. The freshman came up with a base hit in all four of his plate appearances with runners in scoring position.

Tyler Kmiec, Richard Fontanillas and Cameron Delisle also logged multi-hit efforts and drove in at least one run - led by Fontanillas' three - in Friday's opener.

IMMACULATA 14, NORTHWESTERN 4
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Senior Billy Manzo put together the bounce-back outing he needed on the mound in Friday's opener, holding Northwestern scoreless over the first four frames while striking out five. The Mighty Mac ace ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth when the Eagles had runners on second and third with no outs, but Manzo settled in to set down the next three in order to keep the shutout intact, ultimately allowing one unearned run over five frames for his second win of the season.
-After being held scoreless over the first two innings, the Macs came to life in the top of the third to post a six-spot. Kmiec and Fontanillas both ripped run-scoring singles before Pezak and Greg Dahl highlighted the big inning with consecutive RBI doubles.
-The Macs extended their lead to eight in the top of the fifth thanks to RBI knocks from Pezak and Kyle Hannon, before Pezak lined another single through the right side in the sixth to score Tom Prato following Delisle's RBI knock to left.
-IU added four more in the top of the seventh with a Prato sac fly to left before Delisle and Pezak were back at it again, this time with run-scoring extra-base hits to the left and right-center gaps before the Macs closed out the game in the home half.

IU LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Pezak: 5-5, 2B, 3B, 2R, 4 RBI
-Kmiec: 2-4, 2B, 2R, RBI
-Fontanillas: 3-5, 3R, 3 RBI

IU LEADERS ON THE MOUND
-Manzo: W (2-0), 5 IP, 5H, R (0 ER), 6K
-DeSantis: 2 IP, 4H, 3R, 2K

IMMACULATA 4, NORTHWESTERN 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Hollenbach was efficient in his second start of the season, retiring six of the first seven batters he faced while picking up a pair of strikeouts along the way. Despite allowing two runs in the third, the sophomore righty retired the Eagles in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pick up his first win of the 2019 season.
-The Macs were first on the board in the bottom of the second when Pezak and Connor Blesi both reached to start the frame and were sacrificed into scoring position by Ty Esenwein. Domenic Dellabarba then lined a double to left to score the pair before Kmiec capped the inning off with a shot back through the middle to score Dellabarba with the Macs' third run.
-IU added an insurance tally in the bottom of the fourth when Joey Sacco ripped a two-out, run-scoring single to left to score Pezak from third who reached on an error to begin the inning.
-Zach Smiley entered in the top of the seventh looking for his second save of the season, and although the Eagles were able to get the tying run on base with two away, Smiley induced a game-ending ground out to second to complete the sweep.

IU LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Kmiec: 1-3, 2 RBI
-Sacco: 1-2, RBI, BB
-Dellabarba: 1-3, 2B, RBI

IU LEADERS ON THE MOUND
-Hollenbach: W (1-1), 6 IP, 3H, 2R, 5K
-Smiley: SV (2), IP, H, K

UP NEXT
Immaculata (7-3) concludes its spring break trip Saturday morning with a doubleheader against Gettysburg beginning at 10 a.m.