WASHINGTON, Pa. - Case Western Reserve broke through for five runs over the sixth and seventh innings to top Allegheny 6-1 in non-conference action at Washington & Jefferson College's Ross Memorial Park.
Case starting pitcher Mark Gross kept the Gator bats at bay, as he earned the complete game victory, scattering just four singles and striking out seven.
Allegheny's
Corey Keenan (pictured above) started and worked five solid innings, yielding one run on just two hits with five strikeouts. Â
Nate Pastorek took the loss in relief, surrendering two runs in one-third of an inning.
Joe Nagel worked two perfect inning in relief, needing just 22 pitches to record six outs. Â
Austin Bristol,
Jacob Shick,
Shea Beaumont, and
Patrick Orr accounted for Allegheny's hits. Â
The Gators scratched across their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Â Orr led off the frame with a single, stole second, and moved to third base after
Ethan Pawlak reached on an error.  With two outs, Pawlak got into a long run down between first and second base, allowing Orr to scamper home and tie the game at 1-all.
The tie was short-lived, however, as the Spartans plated a pair of runs in the top of the sixth on a two-run double by Noah Merle. Â Case added its final three runs in the eighth inning, each of which were unearned after a two-out error.
As was the case throughout the afternoon, the Gators put runners on in each of the final two innings, but Gross would escape the damage, closing out the game by inducing a 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the ninth. Â Hampered by a defense that committed four errors, Gross retired the side in order in just one inning. Â However, the Gators stranded seven men on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Aaron Cain led the Case offense with two hits, including a triple, while he scored two runs, walked, and had one RBI.  Teammate Tony Damiano went 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI, and two runs scored.
The Gators will now have a two-week respite before traveling west for spring break. Â Allegheny opens its schedule in Tucson, Arizona on Mar. 19, with a split doubleheader against Carthage and Wisconsin-Superior, with the opening game beginning at 10 a.m. MST/12 p.m. EST.
Â
