HIRAM, Ohio –After seeing a late rally come up short in the opener, the Gators scored six runs over the final three innings of the nightcap to split a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader at Hiram.
In the opener, the Gators (19-11, 5-5 NCAC) received two home runs from
Jacob Shick, but Hiram (13-14, 3-7 NCAC) was victorious 7-6. Shick's third home run of the afternoon in the eighth inning of the nightcap would then kick off a late rally that lifted the Gators to an 11-8 comeback victory in game two.
GAME ONE – Hiram 7, Allegheny 6
The Gators blasted a season-high four home runs in the day's first game, but Hiram used a balanced offense that racked 14 hits to earn the win.
Allegheny got on the board first, when
Shea Beaumont launched a homer to right field with one down in the second inning to make it a 1-0 game.
Hiram answered back in the bottom of the third, as the Terriers batted around to plate three runs on five hits.
The Gators again used the long ball in the top of the fourth to make it a one-run game, as
Jacob Shick led off the frame by taking a 2-0 pitch deep over the fence in left for his second homer in as many games, and fourth of the season.
In the fourth inning, however, Hiram again sent nine men to the plate, using three hits and a Gator error to score three more runs, and take a 6-2 lead.
Allegheny looked to battle back, cutting into the deficit with a single run in the top of the fifth, as
Brandon Pouch laced a two-out RBI single to plate
Patrick Orr, who led the frame off with a walk, to make the score 6-3.
The Gators continued to chip away at the deficit, again making it a one-run game in the top of the eighth.
Ethan Pawlak led off with a single, and two batters later, Orr connected for his first home run of the season with a shot over the wall in left-center to cut the deficit to 6-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hiram answered with what turned out to be a much-needed insurance run, with a double and a pair of singles pushing the lead to 7-5.
Facing their final at bats, the Gators again looked to battle back. With one down, Shick belted his second home run of the day to once again cut the deficit to one. Robert Dimaggio followed with a single, before Pawlak doubled to put runners at second and third. An intentional walk to Beaumont loaded the bases, but the late rally was abruptly ended by a line drive double play, allowing the Terriers to hold on for the win.
The Gators managed just six hits in the loss, with Orr and Shick each tallying two apiece, while Pawlak scored a team-high three runs.
Corey Keenan started on the mound and took the loss, working the first seven innings and allowing six runs (three earned) on 11 hits, with two strikeouts.
Brandon Gros, Jacob Nagy, and Brandon Chesmar each tallied three hits apiece to lead the Terriers, with Gros' output including a home run and three RBIs. Reigning NCAC Pitcher of the Week Hank Clegg improved to 4-0 on the mound, working the first 6.2 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits.
GAME TWO – ALLEGHENY 11, HIRAM 8
In a nightcap heavy with offense, the Gators again jumped out to an early lead.
Andrew Dawson led off the game with a single, and after stealing second, scored the game's first run on a DiMaggio double to right.
Hiram used a similar formula in the bottom of the first to tie the game, using a pair of singles sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt to tie it at 1-all.
The Gators bounced right back to take a two-run lead in the second. Pawlak and
Chase Davis each singled, before a ball hit by Dawson to the right side was misplayed, allowing both runs to score and pushing Allegheny in front 3-1.
The back-and-forth theme continued, with Hiram taking advantage of shoddy Allegheny defense to plate three runs in the bottom of the third, using three errors and just one hit to take a 4-3 advantage.
The two teams again traded runs in the fifth inning, with DiMaggio stroking an RBI single in the top half to briefly tie the game at 4-all, and the Terriers using two singles and a stolen base in the bottom to re-gain a 5-4 lead.
Tyler Wagner opened the sixth inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Davis, and then scored the game-tying run on a single to left by
Austin Bristol.
The Terriers would respond in the bottom of the sixth to score three runs on two hits and a walk and jump in front 8-5.
Shick quickly cut into the deficit, sending the second pitch of the seventh inning over the wall in left field for his third home run of the doubleheader. Though it was the only run the visitors were able to plate in the inning, it turned the momentum the way of the Gators, who broke through for a big eighth inning.
For the second time in three innings, Wagner again led off the eighth with a single, and gave way to pinch runner
Keegan Phillips, who moved to third on a one-out infield single from Bristol. Dawson would then follow with a ground out to the right side to plate Phillips and make it 8-7. Pouch promptly followed with a single to right field to plate Bristol with the tying run, before Shick kept the inning alive by reaching on an error. DiMaggio made the Terriers pay for the miscue, belting a double to the right field corner to score Pouch and Shick and give the Gators a 10-8 advantage.
Dan Bonnett then put an exclamation mark on the comeback with a single to right to plate DiMaggio and give the Gators the 11-8 lead.
This time, the Allegheny lead would stand up, as reliever
Travis Neamon closed the game out with two perfect innings to earn the win.
The Gators out-hit the Terriers 16-8, with all nine Allegheny starters recording at least one hit. DiMaggio led the charge, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Bristol, Wagner, Dawson, and Pouch each had two hits apiece.
Chase Boyer started for Allegheny and took a no-decision, striking out seven in the first 5.1 innings, before giving way to Neamon, who threw the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one run on one hit with two strikeouts, while retiring the final 10 batters he faced.
The two teams will now close out the four-game set with another 12 p.m. twinbill at Hiram on Sunday afternoon.
