TUCSON, Ariz. – The Allegheny baseball team split an afternoon doubleheader with Wesleyan University, recovering from a 7-1 setback in the opener to post a 9-7 win in the nightcap.
After the split, the Gators move to 3-7 on the year, while Wesleyan is now 7-2.
GAME ONE
In the opener, two Wesleyan hurlers limited the Gators to just five hits and 10 strikeouts, while the Cardinals did all of their offensive work in the third and fourth innings.
Wesleyan threatened to score the game's first runs in the bottom of the second, but Gator starter
Joe Nagel pitched out of a jam. After striking out the leadoff batter in the frame, the next two batters reached base, via walk and hit-by-pitch. Nagel fielded a pop up on his own for the second out, but the next batter was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. On the very next pitch, however, the Gators got out of trouble when
Bret Kelly made a sliding catch in shallow right field to end the inning with the bases loaded.
The Cardinals would find the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, as each of the first four batters of the frame reached base, plating three runs on a double and a trio of singles. Nagel would bear down and minimize the damage, striking out a pair before inducing a comebacker to end the frame with the Gators trailing 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Wesleyan sent eight men to the plate and scored four runs, on an error, two singles, and a double, to increase its lead to 7-0.
Cullen Flaherty led off the fifth by reaching on a two-base error, and was promptly plated by
Ethan Pawlak's RBI single through the right side to put the Gators on the board. Allegheny threatened again in the sixth, as
Tyler Wagner singled and
Brandon Pouch walked to open the frame, but Cardinals' reliever Dan Lombardo escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out, before retiring the Gators in order to end the game in the top of the seventh.
Nagel took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking just one. Out of the bullpen,
Travis Neamon and
Wyatt Wright combined to keep the Cardinals off the board over the final 2 2/3 frames.
Tommy Cannon recorded two of the Gators' five hits, while also drawing a walk. Pouch, Wagner, and Pawlak each contributed one hit apiece.
Kelvin Sosa started and worked the first five innings for the Cardinals to earn the win, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Ryan Earle led Wesleyan's offensive attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
GAME TWO
The Gator bats woke up early in the nightcap, as they struck for two quick runs in the bottom of the first.
Keegan Phillips led off the bottom of the frame with a single to center, and Flaherty followed suit. Cannon would then lace a one-base hit into left field to plate Phillips and give the Gators a quick 1-0 lead.
Tyler Wagner was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, before
Max Sessions took a fastball to the shoulder to plate Flaherty and make it 2-0.
Andrew Vincent drove Cannon home with a line drive single to right field to give the Gators a 3-run lead.
Wesleyan evened the score in the top of the third, sending seven men to the plate and scoring three runs on four hits to tie it at 3-3.
Allegheny answered right back in the bottom half. Cannon led off with a double to the gap in left center field, before Wagner followed with a two-base hit of his own to the fence in center that gave the Gators a 4-3 lead. Sessions walked and
Luke Chutko singled to load the bases, before Vincent drew a free pass to plate Wagner and make it 5-3.
Evan Davis followed with a grounder to the second baseman. It retired Vincent on the fielder's choice, but the ensuing throw to first went wide, allowing both Chutko and Sessions to scamper home and put the Gators up 7-3.
The Cardinals refused to go away, plating a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on a two-run single from Jonny Corning to cut the deficit to 7-5, but Allegheny got one run right back in the bottom of the fourth when Chutko's RBI single plated Cannon, who walked to open the inning.
Wesleyan again made it a two-run game with a score in the top of the fifth, but again, Allegeny countered, as
Chase Davis led off the inning with a double and scored on a Wagner double off the fence to go up 9-6.
Gator reliever
Travis Neamon induced a fly out to open the bottom of the seventh, before Wesleyan's Alex Cappitello reached on a swinging bunt, and took second when the errant throw went into the outfield.
Cy Perry then came in out of the bullpen to get a groundout that plated Cappitello to make it 9-7, before he closed out the game by getting a fly out to center field.
The Gators totaled 13 hits in the victory, led by Wagner's 3-for-3 effort. Phillips, Flaherty, Cannon, and Chutko each had two hits apiece, with Cannon drawing a pair of walks and scoring a team-high three runs.
Nate Pastorek started on the mound and worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
Nick DiBucci,
Clay Coon, Neamon, and Perry combined to allow just two runs out of the bullpen over the final 3 1/3 innings, with Coon getting credited with the win, and Perry the save.
Corning and Jake Alonzo each had three hits for Wesleyan, with Corning tallying four RBIs. David Redfield started on the mound and gave up three runs on four hits in an inning of work, while Pat Clare took the loss, allowing three runs in an inning of work.
The Gators will return to action on Thursday, March 22, playing a split doubleheader on their penultimate day in the Cactus State. The day opens with a 6 p.m. (Eastern) affair against Wisconsin-Superior, before the Gators take on Carleton at 9 p.m. (Eastern).
