AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Playing in their first contests of the 2015 season, the Gators quickly returned to form, using an efficient offensive attack to pick up a 7-2 win over the Ripon Red Hawks in the season opener, eventually splitting Sunday afternoon's doubleheader at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.

Junior Joe Killian and senior Zach Gray tied for a team-high four hits, with Killian finishing the afternoon with a .667 batting average, logging four hits, a double and triple while driving in a pair of runs.  Sophomore Jacob Shick opened up his second season in a Gator uniform in a familiar fashion, launching a home run in the season opener for the second consecutive season, ending the doubleheader with three hits and a team-high three RBI. 
 
Senior Adam Bronson and freshman Dan Bonnett scored three hits each, while sophomore Shea Beaumont drive in a pair of runs.  Sophomore Chase Boyer impressed in his season debut, as the 2014 Allegheny Male Newcomer of the Year fired 6.0 innings of quality pitching, striking out six batters while walking none, only allowing a pair of hits.

In game one, Bronson jumpstarted the Gators after ending the inning by catching a runner stealing.  Allegheny used the opportunity to score four runs in the top of the fourth.  Shick kicked off the frame with a single down the left field line, advancing to second after a wild pitch before Bronson made another splash for the Blue and Gold, sending a single through the middle to score Shick and put the Gators on the board.

The hit parade continued, as three consecutive singles by Killian, Beaumont and Sardini allowed two more runs to cross the plate.  A Bonnett double to right center drove in Sardini, scoring the Gators' fourth run of the inning and closing a six-hit inning for the Gators.

After a 1-2-3 inning by Boyer, Shick gave the Gators another run by taking the opening pitch of the at bat deep to left field, placing it over the fence for the squad's first home run of the season, putting the Gators up, 5-0.  Ripon scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, as the Gators got back on the board in the seventh after a scoreless sixth.

Gray kicked off the inning with a single to right, stealing second base before a RBI single by Shick allowed the senior to cross the plate for the Gators' sixth run.  Shick later scored on a single through the left side by Killian.

Sophomore Robert Julian entered for the Gators in the seventh, shutting the door on the Red Hawks for the Gators' first win of the season.

Ripon got on the board first in game two, scoring in the top of the first before the Gators plated three in the bottom of the frame.  Gray forced a walk to lead off the inning, moving to third on a failed pick off attempt before Shick scored Gray on a groundout to second base.  Beaumont later scored Bronson, who singled to center after Shick's RBI, with a single to center, as sophomore Kyle Emerson took a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to score Killian.

Allegheny held the lead until the fourth inning, as a three-hit inning by Ripon tied the contest at 3-3 before a five-run fifth gave the Red Hawks an 8-3 advantage.  The Gators scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the squad was unable to stage a rally late in the game to slice into the Ripon lead.  Trailing, 10-5, after a run in the top of the seventh by the Red Hawks, Allegheny led off the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second, but could not get any additional runs to cross the plate before Ripon clinched the split of the doubleheader.

The Gators will battle FDU-Florham on Monday at 9 a.m., continuing a nine-game schedule over five days for the Blue and Gold.