OBERLIN, Ohio - The Allegheny baseball team dropped both ends of its doubleheader at North Coast Athletic Conference rival Oberlin, falling 8-5 in the opener and 4-3 in the nightcap.

With the two losses, the Gators fall to 22-15 overall and 7-9 in the NCAC East Division, while Oberlin moves to 20-17/10-6 NCAC.

GAME ONE
In the opener, the Yeomen broke open a tie ballgame with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, before holding off a late Gator comeback.

Oberlin started quickly in the bottom of the first, putting runners at first and third with no outs on a double and a hit batter. The Gators were able to minimize the damage, surrendering just a lone run on a Brandon Mapes sacrifice fly, while they were aided by a pickoff at third base.

The Gators answered in the top of the third inning.  Patrick Orr led off the frame with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Vincent Carone, and scored the game-tying run after advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on the subsequent errant throw from the catcher.

The Yeomen then responded with a decisive fourth inning rally, scoring six runs on five hits and one error.  Ten Yeomen came to the plate, and three of the runs were unearned, as they took advantage of a throwing error to the plate with one out.

Allegheny looked to chip away. In the top of the fifth, Orr led off with an infield single, before Carone and Austin Bristol each reached via error. Orr scored on the second miscue, before Cullen Flaherty's ground ball to third brought home Carone to cut the deficit to 7-3. 

The Gators continued on the comeback trail in the top of the sixth. Robert DiMaggio singled to lead off the frame, and was promptly plated on a double to the right center field gap from Jacob Shick. Two batters later, Shick crossed the plate on an RBI groundout from pinch hitter Shea Beaumont to make the score 7-5.

It was as close as the Gators would get, however, as the Yeomen scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI double from Mapes. Pinch hitter Chase Davis walked to lead off the top of the seventh for the Gators, but the Yeomen were able to escape the threat with a double play to quash Allegheny's final rally attempt.

The Yeomen out-hit the Gators 9-4, with Justin Cruz going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. DiMaggio was the lone Gator to tally multiple hits, as he finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Shick and Orr accounted for the other two Allegheny base knocks.

Jarod Deagan started and took the loss for Allegheny, working 4.1 innings and allowing seven runs (four earned) on seven hits, with two walks and two strikeouts. 

Oberlin starter Zachary Steer earned the win, throwing six innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits, with three K's. Ben Lovett was credited with the save after throwing a scoreless seventh.

GAME TWO
The nightcap also saw Oberlin's Ian Dinsmore single and Cruz double to lead off the bottom of the first, but Gator starter Robert Julian was again able to limit the damage, surrendering just one run on a one-out sacrifice fly.

The Gators came up empty in each of the first two innings, despite tallying a base runner in each frame, but were able to break through in the top of the third. Andrew Dawson and Flaherty opened the inning with back-to-back singles, before each moved up 90 feet on a Brandon Pouch sacrifice bunt.  A balk would bring Dawson home to tie the game at 1-all, before DiMaggio reached on an error to plate Flaherty. After Shick singled to put runners at first and third, Ethan Pawlak came through with a single through the left side to bring home DiMaggio and put the Gators on top 3-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Yeomen tallied two hits, but Julian induced a ground ball double play to escape the jam. Oberlin again looked primed to find the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with one out after three straight singles, but again the Gator senior was the beneficiary of a twin-killing, as Mapes sent a hot liner to Pawlak who stepped on the bag at second to end the inning and preserve the two-run lead.

The Gators looked primed to add onto the lead in the top of the sixth. Chase Davis opened with a single, before Beaumont doubled and Bristol was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. This time, the Yeomen were able to reap the benefits of a double play, keeping the Gators off the board after inducing an inning-ending 1-2-3 twin killing.

Oberlin's Brandon Carney homered to lead off the bottom of the sixth, before Quinn Butler doubled, chasing Julian. After reliever Joe Nagel got the first out on a grounder to third, Oberlin's Jack Brewster tripled to plate Butler and tie the game at 3-3. Two batters later, Sam Harris tallied an RBI single to give the Yeomen a 4-3 advantage.

Nagel settled down to retire the final six Yeomen in order over the seventh and eighth innings, but despite tallying one single in each of the final three innings, the Gators were unable to come back from the one-run deficit. 

Seven different players recorded at least one hit for Allegheny in the loss, led by Pouch's 3-for-4 effort, while Dawson and Beaumont each finished 2-for-4 as the Gators finished with 11 hits.

Nagel took the loss, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout in three innings, while Julian took the no-decision, allowing three runs with one strikeouts and no walks in five innings of work.

Oberlin starter Noah Gear was credited with the win, working six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits with one K. In total, five Oberlin pitchers saw work, with Milo Sklar closing out the game with a scoreless ninth to pick up his sixth save of the season.

With the two losses, the Gators will now take to the road to close out the regular season in next weekend's NCAC Crossover Series. Allegheny ends divisional play in third place in the NCAC East, and will travel to either Denison or DePauw for the series, with the opponent determined following the conclusion of DePauw's doubleheader with Wabash on Tuesday.