TUCSON, Ariz. –  Allegheny closed out its 2018 spring break trip to the Tucson Invitational by splitting a doubleheader with Hamline University.  In the opener, the Gators used solid pitching and an efficient offense to post a 7-4 win, before Hamline countered to take the nightcap by an 8-2 score. 

GAME ONE
Allegheny 7, Hamline 4
Noah Shannon, Keegan Phillips, and Tyler Wagner each had three hits to lead the Gators' 12-hit attack, while Jarod Deagan allowed just one earned run over 4 1/3 innings, before Nate Pastorek came out of the bullpen to earn the two-inning save.

Hamline threatened to score in the bottom of the first, as they loaded the bases with a bloop double, a walk, and a single, but Deagan induced a ground ball double play to erase the threat. The Gator bats then went to work in the top of the second. With one out, Wagner, Shannon, and Luke Chutko hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Bret Kelly's ground out plated Wagner, before Ronaldo Del Duca was hit by a pitch to again load the bags. Phillips then dropped a single just inside the right field foul line to bring home Shannon and Chutko and give the Gators a 3-0 lead.

Using a double, an error, and a pair of bunts, the Pipers got two runs back in the bottom of the second to cut the gap to 3-2.

Allegheny answered right back in the top of the third.  With one out, Tommy Cannon and Wagner were each hit by a pitch, before Shannon laced a single to left field to plate Cannon and push the lead back out to two runs.  The Gators added to the lead in the fourth, as Cullen Flaherty's RBI ground out scored Phillips, who tripled to begin the frame, to make it 5-2.

The Pipers countered with a lengthy bottom of the fourth, sending eight men to the plate and scoring two runs on two hits, an error, and two walks to make it a one-run game, 5-4.  Hamline again threatened in the bottom of the fifth, with each of its first two batters reaching via error. After Deagan recorded a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Pastorek was summoned from the bullpen and promptly got a pop up and strikeout to escape the threat and preserve the Allegheny lead.

Pastorek retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, and the Gators looked to add some insurance in the top of the seventh. With one out, Wagner laced a double, before Shannon followed suit with a two-bagger to make it 6-4. After a lengthy at bat, Kelly followed with a line drive single through the box to plate Shannon from second base and give the Gators a 7-4 lead heading into the final half inning.

Facing their last at-bats, Hamline loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of singles and a walk, but Pastorek escaped the jam, recording his fourth strikeout to end the game.

Deagan earned the win after allowing just one earned run (three unearned) on five hits with six strikeouts.  Pastorek allowed just two hits and one walk, with four K's, over the final 2 2/3 to earn his first career save.

Hunter Messerschmidt led Hamline's offense, as he recorded three of their seven hits, including a pair of doubles.  Nolan Schoonveld started and worked 2 1/3 innings and took the no decision, allowing four runs on five hits.  Evan Bayer threw the final 4 2/3 and was saddled with the loss.

GAME TWO
Hamline 8, Allegheny 2
In game two, the Pipers struck first for three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first, before the Gators countered with a single tally in the bottom half.  With one out, Flaherty and Cannon hit back-to-back singles, before an error on a ground ball hit by Wagner plated Flaherty to make it 3-1.

Hamline threatened to add on in the top of the third, loading the bases with just one out, but Gator starter Sean Kealey pitched out of trouble, ending the inning with a pop up and ground out.

Cannon laced a one-out single in the third, before advancing to third on a double from Wagner.  With Max Sessions at bat, a pickoff attempt of Wagner at second base sailed into the outfield, plating Cannon and bringing the Gators to within one.

Kealey struck out the first two batters of the fourth inning, but an error, a walk, and an infield single would load the bases for Hamline.  Dalton Donachie was then summoned from the bullpen to quell the threat with a strikeout and keep the deficit at one.

The Pipers did manage to add to the lead in the top of the fifth, loading the bases on an error and a pair of infield singles, before scoring their fifth run of the game on a suicide squeeze. It was all the Pipers would get, however, as Donachie retired the final three batters in order, with a pair of popups and a strikeout.

The Gators managed a pair of base runners in the bottom of the sixth but were unable to score, while Hamline took advantage of a trio of errors in the top of the seventh to plate three unearned runs and open up an 8-2 lead.   The Gators managed one hit in the bottom of the inning, but would get no more, as Hamline closed out the win.

Wagner, Kelly, and Cannon each had two hits to pace the Allegheny offense.  Kealey took the loss for the Gators, working 3 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.  Donachie worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (one earned) with three strikeouts, while Travis Neamon recorded the final two outs in the top of the seventh.

Hamline's Mitch Benson went 4-for-4 in the win, while Jeremy Szura and Cullen Buck each had two hits.  Jimmy Skroch threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings to record the win, while Zach Smith earned the save after getting the final nine outs.

The Gators will now return north, and are scheduled to return to action on Wed. Mar. 28, welcoming Baldwin Wallace to the Robertson Athletic Complex for the 2018 home opener.