OBERLIN, Ohio – The Gators extended their winning streak to 10 games and picked up their second doubleheader sweep in as many days, topping Oberlin by scores of 7-6 and 16-12.
In the opener, Allegheny scored three runs in the top of the seventh to break a late tie, and then was forced to hold off a late Yeomen rally in the bottom of the frame. In the nightcap, the Gators pounded out 17 hits and took advantage of six Oberlin errors to tie their season-high with 16 runs.
The wins move the Gators to 17-11 overall, and 9-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, while Oberlin falls to 11-20/2-8 NCAC. The 10-game winning streak is the longest for the squad since the 2012 edition also won 10 straight (Apr. 4 – Apr. 18).
As was the case in the Gators' two wins a day earlier, the visitors got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead two batters into the game after
Zach Gray drove home
Dan Bonnett, who led off the game with a triple.
Allegheny tacked on two more runs in the top of the third, with Bonnett the catalyst once again. The freshman led off with a walk, before
Zach Gray followed with a bunt single. Two batters later,
Adam Bronson whacked a two-run double to the gap in right center to give Allegheny a 3-0 lead.
Bonnett again came through in a big spot in the top of the fourth, as the rookie gave the Gators a 4-0 lead after doubling home
Cullen Flaherty, who led off the inning with a single.
Gator starter Rob Julian cruised on the mound through the first four innings, allowing just three runners, before running into trouble in the bottom of the fifth, when the Yeomen used two hits, two errors, and a walk to plate four runs and tie the game.
The score would remain deadlocked until the seventh, when the Gators put together the eventual game-winning rally, scoring three runs with two outs. Bonnett and
Jacob Shick were each hit by a pitch, before Bronson reached on an error to bring home Bonnett and give the lead back to Allegheny.
Tyler Wagner promptly followed by singling to center to score Shick and Bronson and give the Gators a three-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Yeomen then made things interesting, scoring a pair of runs with two outs, before
Zach Hale came out of the bullpen to get the final out and preserve the win and earn his first collegiate save.
Allegheny out-hit the Yeomen 10-7 in the game one win, with Bonnett, Gray, and Wagner each racking two hits apiece. Bonnett reached base in all four of his plate appearances, and scored a team-high three runs.
Hayden Smith earned his first win of the season on the mound after coming on in the fifth and throwing two perfect frames in relief of Julian, who took the no decision after working four innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits, with one strikeout and two walks.
From the start, game two was a battle of the offenses. The Gators took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first, as Bonnett singled to lead off and scored on an error, before
Joe Killian singled with two outs and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wagner.
The Yeomen promptly tied it in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs on two hits and a hit batsmen, before the Gators punched back with a pair of runs in the top of the second on an RBI single from Gray and a ground out by Killian.
In keeping with the theme of the afternoon, Oberlin responded by sending eight men to the plate in the bottom of the second, scoring five runs on four hits to go in front 7-4.
A leadoff home run from Bronson – his second in as many days – pulled the Gators to within 7-5 in the top of the third, before the Gator offense put together its biggest inning of the day in the top of the fourth. Allegheny sent 11 men to the plate in the decisive inning and scored five runs, with Killian and Wagner each racking RBI doubles, and Bronson and Flaherty run-scoring singles, to put the Gators in front 10-7.
Leading 11-10 in the seventh, the Gators added some much-needed insurance. Bronson and Wagner each singled to lead off the frame, before a walk to
Shea Beaumont loaded the bases.
Robert DiMaggio then smacked a double to the left center gap, bringing home Bronson and Wagner, before Beaumont scored on a sacrifice fly by Flaherty to make the score 14-10.
Justin Stascak, the fifth Gator pitcher of the game, set the Yeomen down in order in both the seventh and eighth inning, before Allegheny scored its final two runs of the game in the top of the ninth. DiMaggio singled and scored when Bonnett reached on an error, before Killian singled home Bonnett to give the Gators a 16-10 lead.
In the home half of the ninth, the Yeomen used two singles, a walk, and a sac fly to score twice, before Stascak got a groundout to Shick to end a wild game in which the two teams combined for 31 hits and use 13 pitchers.
Ten different players combined for the Gators' 16 hits. Bronson ended the game 3-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs, and three runs scored, while Killian finished 3-for-6 with a walk and two runs scored. Bonnett (2-for-6), Wagner (2-for-5), and DiMaggio (2-for-2) also produced multi-hit games, while Gray, Flaherty, Wagner, and DiMaggio had two RBIs apiece.
The game marked the second time in less than a week which the Gaators scored 16 runs, repeating the feat from its 16-9 win over John Carroll on Apr. 15. It marked the third time this season in which Allegheny totaled 17 hits, one shy of its season-best of 18 (Apr. 12 vs. Hiram).
Smith earned his second win of the day in relief, allowing one run in 1 1/3 innings, while Stascak threw the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts to get the save.
Allegheny will now return to Meadville for a seven-game homestand to close out the regular season, beginning with a single, nine-inning contest against local rival Penn State-Behrend on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
