Box Score ERIE, Pa. – Trailing 11-6 in the fifth inning, the Gators rallied for 10 runs over the final four innings en route to a season-high scoring output, recording a 16-11 win over Penn State Behrend on Thursday afternoon.

In a wild affair that saw 39 hits and 10 pitchers between the two squads, Allegheny sophomore Joe Killian picked up a career-high five hits in the win, including a two-run home run, finishing 5-of-6 for the plate while scoring four runs and tying for the team-high with three RBI.  Freshman Jacob Shick closely replicated the offensive success of Killian, also finishing 5-for-6 while crossing the plate for a team-high five runs, adding three RBI. 

Senior Mike Pezzone logged a strong afternoon both at the plate and on the mound, batting 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI offensively while shutting the door on Penn State Behrend late, pitching 2.1 innings of scoreless work, only allowing one hit to Lions batters in the latter stages of the game.  Freshman Zach Hale picked up the first win of his collegiate career, pitching 1.2 innings without allowing a run while striking out a pair of batters.  Junior Adam Bronson and sophomore Matt Sardini picked up two RBI apiece while juniors Eric Weyant and Ben Murray along with freshman Andrew Dawson drove in a run each.

The Gators kicked off the game in exciting fashion as senior and lead off hitter Kyle Davis started the game with a triple to center field, coming home after a single to right by Weyant to start the scoring.  Allegheny would add a second run in the inning after a line shot single through the right side by Shick drove home Weyant, but Behrend would respond with a run in the bottom of the frame to begin the back-and-forth affair between the two squads.

In the second, Weyant reached base on an error in the second to set the stage for Killian's second home run of the season.  The sophomore launched a line shot down the left field line that cleared the fence to give the Gators a three-run lead before the Lions cut the lead to one again in the bottom of the frame.  After a third-inning sacrifice fly by Sardini put the Gators ahead, 5-3, Behrend plated six runs on seven hits and one Allegheny error to move ahead, 9-5, heading into the fourth. 

After being held without a run in the fourth, a single through the right side by Sardini in the fifth cut the lead to three before two runs on three hits gave the Lions a five-run lead heading into the sixth inning. 

Shick started the rally with a two-RBI single down the left field line after singles by Killian and Pezzone in the sixth.  Junior Ben Murray hit a double to score Shick and bring the Gators to within two runs.  Bronson tied up the game in the top of the eighth with a two-RBI single up the middle, as the Gators completed the comeback after Shick reached on an error, scoring Bronson and giving Allegheny a 12-11 lead.  The Gators would finish the inning with four runs and three hits, taking a 13-11 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

A double by Killian and sacrifice fly by Pezzone in the eighth increased the lead to 15-11 before a single down the right side allowed Shick to score his fifth run of the game while providing the final run of the afternoon.

Allegheny will next welcome North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opponent Oberlin to the Robertson Complex for a four-game weekend series set to start at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 12.