AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Purchase College baseball team earned a doubleheader split Friday afternoon, as the Panthers took on the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on day two of the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational.

The Panthers dropped game one, 3-0, but rebounded with a resounding, 6-0, win in game two to salvage the day. On the season, Purchase is now 4-2, while the Trailblazers of MCLA are 3-4. 

In game one, MCLA got on the board with a two-out RBI single in the top of the third, before adding a pair of runs in the top of the sixth.

Entering the bottom of the sixth, down 3-0, the Panthers' offense threatened early, as Brian Cunningham (SR/Westbury, NY) doubled with one out. He later advanced to third on an error during the next at-bat, as Purchase looked primed to score with runners on the corners.

However, the Trailblazers had other plans, and were able to silence any comeback chance with a 6-4-3 double play on the next at-bat to end the frame. An inning later, MCLA held on for the game one win, 3-0. 

Bobby New (SR/Pittsfield, MA) collected the win for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, as he allowed just five hits over his 7-inning complete game. He also tallied 10 strikeouts to just one walk in the effort. 

For Purchase, Cody Hennequin (SO/Milford, CT) received the loss, despite his complete game. The sophomore finished with eight strikeouts, but allowed three runs on five hits. Nick Tuozzola (SR/Milford, CT) tallied a hit and a walk in the effort.

After having their bats slowed in the early game, the Panthers' offense exploded out of its slump in game two, as Purchase collected six runs on 10 hits in the shutout win. 

Matthew Mulligan (SO/Bellport, NY) got things started with an RBI double in the first inning, before Jemal Betances (FR/Bronx, NY) and Matthew Nilsen (SO/Bellmore, NY) added back-to-back RBI singles in the third. 

In the fourth frame, the Panthers collected three-straight RBI singles from Cunningham, Mulligan and Betances, as they pushed the lead to 6-0. However, all the runs were just icing on the cake, as John Fitzgerald (JR/Wantagh, NY) was dealing for Purchase on the mound. Fitzgerald held the Trailblazers scoreless and gave up just three hits on the day. The junior fanned seven in the win. 

Mulligan led the charge for the Panthers, as he finished with three hits, two RBIs, a run and a walk. 

Brendan Kelly (SR/Averill Park, NY) received the loss for MCLA.