AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Allegheny College baseball team stumbled in its opening two games at the RussMatt Baseball Invitational this afternoon, falling to Hamilton (N.Y.) College by scores of 7-4 and 12-3.
In the first game, Allegheny (2-2, 0-0 NCAC) held a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh before a Hamilton (7-3, 0-0 NESCAC) five-run rally became the Gators' undoing. Ryan Wolfsburg's bases-loaded walk brought the Continentals within one before Andrew Haser walked it off with a grand slam.
After a Wolfsburg single put Hamilton up 1-0 through an inning, Allegheny rebounded to score three in the top of the second.
Tyler Wagner led the frame off with a single and advanced to second on a failed pickoff.
Jacob Shick reached base with an infield hit to put two on for
Dan Bonnett, who jumped on a fastball and hit an RBI ground-rule double.
The Gators manufactured their other two runs with sacrifice flies as
Cullen Flaherty brought in Shick, and Bonnett put himself in position to score on a
Patrick Orr flyout after a steal of third base.
Chase Boyer rebounded from an up-and-down first inning by striking out the side in order.
Allegheny collected another run in the top of the third to make it 4-1.
Robert DiMaggio reached base with one out after a Zack Becker error and moved to second on a groundout by
Joe Killian. Wagner brought him with a double down the leftfield line, but was left stranded following a groundout on the next at-bat.
Hamilton regained the run it gave up in the bottom half after Wolfsburg ripped an RBI single to left to score Jordan Northrup. It could have been more impactful, but Brent Mele was thrown out at home trying to score on an unassisted putout by Wagner.
After putting the first two batters on in the bottom of the fourth, Boyer responded by generating a 6-4-3 double play and getting Becker to strike out looking.
The Gators had an insurance run on their mind when
Austin Bristol doubled to lead off the fifth. Two strikeouts followed that up, but Killian kept the inning going with a Baltimore Chop single to third base. However, Wagner grounded out to short to end the threat.
Mele's baserunning again cost the Continentals in the bottom half when he was thrown out trying to steal second by Orr. Hamilton was able to put two more runners on with a bunt single and walk, but Boyer retired Haser with a flyout.
Allegheny had its first two runners on in the top of the seventh when both Orr and Bristol singled. However, Spencer Voglebach was able to settle down and get the next three in order to keep the deficit at two.
The Gators used three pitchers in the bottom half, but a lack of control set the stage for the Continentals' heroics. Becker singled to lead off the inning, then Hamilton generated two walks after a flyout to load the bases. Wolfsburg worked another free pass to bring in a run, and Haser cleared the bases with a walk-off round-tripper.
Boyer struck out seven in six and a third, allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks.
Hayden Smith was charged with the loss after walking the only two batters he faced.
Bristol brought home all three Gator runs in the nightcap with a two-run triple in the bottom of the second and an RBI single up the middle in the fourth inning.
Corey Keenan was charged with the loss in game two after allowing six runs (three earned) in four innings.
Allegheny will look to rebound tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. when it faces Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
