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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Trailing, 5-0, in the eighth inning, the Gators made an inspired rally, but just short, 5-3, to the Denison Big Red in a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament opening-round matchup on Thursday evening at V.A. Memorial Stadium.

Junior Eric Weyant finished the contest 2-for-5, starting the Allegheny rally with a home run in the eighth inning.  Fellow third year Ben Murray drove in another run for the squad, plating junior Adam Bronson in the ninth.  Junior Zach Gray scored the final run for the Gators during a ninth-inning rally.

Weyant laced a 1-0 pitch into left center field in the eighth, bouncing off the top of the outfield wall for the Gators' first run of the evening and the first home run of the season for the junior.  Weyant's blast provided late momentum to an Allegheny offense that was held in check for most of the contest by Denison's Connor Murphy, who pitched 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out eight Allegheny batters.

The Big Red scored one run in the first and two more in the second to hold a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth. Gray looked to jumpstart the Gator offense with one out in the second, procuring a leadoff walk followed by back-to-back stolen bases to advance to third, but Murphy picked up a strikeout and pop fly to end the Allegheny threat.

In the third, sophomore Matt Sardini converted a heads-up, 9-3 put out to eliminate a lead-off single in the third, as senior pitcher Kyle Davis, facing a runner in scoring position during the top of the fourth inning, put out the advancing runner with a sharp throw to Weyant, eventually escaping the inning without yielding an additional run.

Davis picked up the first hit for the Gators to lead-off the fourth, but the Gators were unable to plate a run in the inning as Murphy kept his shutout intact.  Back-to-back, two-out singles by Weyant and Davis placed runners on the corners, but Murphy forced the third out to again render the Gators scoreless.

The Gators created their best opportunity in the top of the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out, before Murphy was able to work his way out of the jam.  Senior Mike Pezzone dropped a flaring single into right field to place the first runner aboard before a walk to Bronson placed two on with one out.

Freshman Jacob Shick was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Murphy again wiggled his way out of a jam by retiring the next two batters, shutting out the Gators in the seventh.  After Weyant's home run in the eighth, junior Paul Vojtek fired a hitless eighth, joining senior and reigning NCAC Pitcher of the Week Eric Brandt for 1.2 innings of hitless relief for the Gators.

Gray led off the ninth with a 3-1 walk, moving to second after a single to left by Bronson.  Shick reached on a fielding error, scoring Bronson, before freshman Shea Beaumont was able to reach base on another Big Red miscue.  Representing the game-tying run, Weyant launched a ball to deep center field, but Denison center fielder Georgie Montes made a leaping catch at the wall to send Denison into the winner's bracket.

Allegheny will play DePauw, the No. 2 seed out of the West Division, at 4 p.m. in an elimination game.  If the Gators defeat the Tigers, they will play the loser of tomorrow's 12 p.m. matchup between Denison and Wooster immediately following their 4 p.m. tilt against DePauw.