ERIE, Pa. – The Allegheny baseball team earned a pair of tight wins to sweep non-conference-foe Penn State-Behrend, as they defeated the host Lions 3-1 in the opener, before closing with a 4-2 comeback win in the nightcap.
 
In game one, the Gators scored a pair of first inning runs, and solid work from the pitching staff allowed the lead to hold up.  In the nightcap, the Gators fell behind early, but scored a pair of runs in the sixth and an insurance tally in the seventh to support a strong start by hurler Robert Julian.
 
With the two victories, the Gators improve to 17-10 on the season, while the Lions fall to 15-14.
 
GAME ONE – ALLEGHENY 3, PENN STATE-BEHREND 1
The Gator offense got off to a strong start in game one, scoring a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first.  With one out, Brandon Pouch singled, before Jacob Shick was hit by a pitch.  A grounder from Robert DiMaggio retired Pouch at third via fielder's choice, but Ethan Pawlak would empty the bases with a double to give the Gators the early 2-0 lead.
 
The Lions used a walk and a pair of singles to cut into the deficit with a run in the bottom of the second, and the score would remain 2-1 for the next several innings thanks to strong pitching from both sides.

Gator starter Jarod Deagan stranded a leadoff single in the bottom of the third, before reliever Sean Kealey came on with two outs and runners on the corners in the fourth,  escaping the damage with an inning-ending pop up.
 
In the fifth, the Gators saw a pair of men reach, as Pouch reached base on an error and Shick was again plunked, but were unable to add any insurance.  In the bottom of the frame, Kealey retired the side with a pair of K's and a pop up, before the Gators would break through in the top of the sixth with a manufactured run, as Tyler Wagner led off on a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Patrick Orr, and scored on an Austin Bristol one-base hit up the middle to push the lead to 3-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, Kealey surrendered a lead-off single, but got out of trouble by inducing a 6-4-3 double play.  After another Behrend single, Travis Neamon came on to retire the final out with a ground ball, and earn his second save of the season.
 
Bristol tallied two of Allegheny's six hits in the win, while Shick reached base three times, adding a seventh-inning single to his two hit-by-pitches. 
 
Deagan started and worked the first 3.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits, with one walk and one strikeout.  Kealey worked three scoreless frames, striking out three, to be credited with his team-best fifth win of the season.
 
Brian Bohman went 3-for-4 and Kyle Lewis 3-for-3 for Behrend, which totaled nine hits in the loss,while starter Justin Rohrer took the loss on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts in four innings.
 
GAME TWO – ALLEGHENY 4, PENN STATE-BEHREND 2
The nightcap also began as a pitcher's duel, as the teams combined for just one baserunner – a leadoff single in the second by DiMaggio – over the first two frames, as Julian set down the first six Lions in order.
 
The hosts looked primed for a breakout inning in the bottom of the third, but Julian was able to minimize the damage.  Berhend's Zach Murray led off with a single, and used a pair of stolen bases to advance to third. With one out, the Lions' Jacob Campbell was hit by a pitch, putting runners at the corners, before Murray scampered home on a Bohman single.  Julian induced a ground ball for the second out of the inning, but another hit batsman loaded the bases.  Julian coolly got out of the frame with another ground ball out to keep the deficit at one run.
 
The Gators wasted little time in tying the game, as with one out in the top of the fourth, Dan Bonnett laced a double to left, and was plated on a two-out single from Pawlak to tie the game.
 
After Julian stranded another man in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth, the Gators took the lead in the top of the fifth.  Pouch opened the inning with a double to right field, and promptly scored when Flaherty followed with a single.  After a Bristol sacrifice bunt and a walk to Shick, DiMaggio came through with a grounder to the right side to bring home Flaherty and put the Gators in front 3-1.
 
The Lions used a walk and a double to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth, but the Gators added insurance in the top of the sixth.  Wagner and Vincent Carone opened the inning with back-to-back walks, before Pouch came through with an RBI single to plate Wagner and give Allegheny a two-run cushion.
 
Making his second appearance of the afternoon, Neamon made sure the two-run lead would stand up, as he retired the side in the sixth, before pitching around a leadoff walk in the seventh to earn his second save of the day and third of the season.  For the game, the Gators' three hurlers – Neamon, Cy Perry, and Julian – limited the Lions to just four hits.
 
Julian got the win after allowing just one run on three hits with one strikeout in four innings of work.  Six different players accounted for Allegheny's seven hits on the day, led by Pouch's 2-for-3 effort.
 
Allegheny will have now have a quick turnaround, as they return to action with another non-conference contest on Wednesday against visiting Thiel. First pitch at the Robertson Athletic Complex is scheduled for 4 p.m.