BECKLEY, W. Va.— The Allegheny College baseball team opened up the 2017 season with a pair of wins against John Carroll University at Epling Stadium in Beckley, W. Va.
The Gators won game one 13-7 and game two 7-6.
GAME 1
The Gators struck first in the top of the second.
Dan Bonnett led off the inning with a line drive single.
Tyler Wagner was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.
Patrick Orr moved the runners up with a sacrifice to set up
Andrew Dawson to bring Bonnett home with a single.
Cullen Flaherty then singled to bring Wagner in and increase the lead to 2-0.
Chase Davis continued the hot streak for the Allegheny offense with a single to load the bases.
Austin Bristol grounded out to the shortstop for out number two but brought Dawson across the plate in the process.
The Blue Streaks answered in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs to narrow the gap to one.
The Gator offense got back at it in the top of the fourth. Orr led off with an infield single and moved to second on a Dawson bunt. After moving to third on a hit by pitch, Orr reached home on a Davis groundout to bring the score to 4-2.
The Gators increased their lead with a big rally in the sixth with two outs. With Dawson and Flaherty on via walks, Davis singled to center field, bringing Dawson home.
Bristol followed up with a double to bring Flaherty and Davis in.
Jacob Shick singled to drive home Bristol. Shick reached home via error during the next at-bat to score the fifth run of the inning and increase the lead to 9-2.
The Blue Streaks responded with five runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to bring the lead down to two.
With one out in the eighth, Bristol and Davis singled. Shick then tripled to bring the two runners across the plate and extend the lead to 11-7. Later in the inning, Shick came across the plate to make it 12-7.
The Gators tacked on a run in the ninth when Davis drove Dawson home to make the game 13-7 in favor of the Gators.
In the bottom of the ninth,
Nate Pastorek recorded a pair of strikeouts to secure the Gator win.
Davis led the way for the Gator offense, going four-of-six with a RBI and a pair of runs. Dawson went three-of-four with a RBI and three runs. Bristol and Shick both had two hits with three RBI and two runs. Flaherty also had a RBI and a run while Bonnett and Orr also scored.
Chase Boyer got the start for the Gators on the mound. Boyer pitched 5.0 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs in the win. Pastorek picked up the save in his first game as a Gator. He went four innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs.
GAME 2
After keeping the Blue Streaks off the board in the first inning, the Gators' offense picked up where it left off in game one. Flaherty earned a walk at the leadoff spot, then reached second when
Brandon Pouch hit into an error. Two batters later, Shick singled to left field, scoring Flaherty for the first run of the game.
The Blue Streaks answered with one run in the top of the third to tie the game.
With two outs and Shick on third in the bottom of the fourth,
Shea Beaumont singled to give the Gators a 2-1 lead.
Davis led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. He reached second on a sacrifice and third on a wild pitch. With two outs,
Vincent Carone drove him in to push the lead to 3-1. After a walk to
Ethan Pawlak and a catcher's interference call, Carone came across the plate on a wild pitch, making it 4-1.
Bristol led off the seventh with a triple to center field. After Shick earned a walk, Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bonnett grounded out but brought Bristol across for the run. Beaumont followed up with a sac fly, scoring Shick and making it 6-3.
In the eighth, Pawlak led off with an inside the park homerun to right field, bringing the lead to 7-3.
The Blue Streaks plated four in the top of the ninth to bring the game within one, 7-6.
Cy Perry came in to face the final two batters, striking the pair out to secure the win for the Gators.
Beaumont led the Gator offense in game two with a pair of RBI and a hit. Six different Gators had hits in the game. Shick had a RBI with a pair of runs. Bonnett, Carone and Pawlak had a RBI.
Corey Keenan got the start on the mound and collected the win with 5.0 innings of work, allowing one earned run on four hits.
The Gators are back in action Sunday (Feb. 26) to conclude the three game series with John Carroll.
