SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Gators dropped to 6-7 in the North Coast Athletic Conference after dropping both ends of a doubleheader at conference foe Wittenberg.
 
The Tigers (12-20, 6-7 NCAC) claimed the opener 10-4, before pulling away from the Gators (14-17, 6-7 NCAC) for a 13-0 win in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE – WITTENBERG 10, ALLEGHENY 4
In the opener, the Gators out-hit the Tigers 15-12 for the contest, but Allegheny's defense committed six errors that led to six unearned runs for Wittenberg.
 
Five different players tallied multi-hit games for Allegheny, led by the middle infield tandem of Ethan Pawlak and Vincent Carone, who each went 3-for-5.  Tommy Cannon finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Luke Chutko and Bret Kelly each had two hits in five at bats.
 
The Gators got on the board first with a single tally in the top of the second. With two outs, Chutko and Pawlak hit back-to-back singles, before a grounder from Kelly was misplayed, with the error bringing home Chutko.
 
Wittenberg used three singles and a pair of errors to score three runs and gain the lead in the bottom of the third, but Allegheny answered right back in the visiting half of the fourth.  Carone reached on a one-out bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a passed ball, before crossing the plate on Pawlaks's second single of the day.  Kelly and Cannon would follow suit with singles of their own, and Tyler Wagner drew a bases loaded walk to force in Pawlak and make it a 3-3 game.
 
The Tigers would then pull away for good, scoring two runs on one hit and an error in the fourth, before adding four more runs on four hits and a miscue in the fifth to open up a 9-3 advantage.
 
Allegheny relievers Cy Perry and Travis Neamon would then throw zeroes over the next two frames, and the Gator offense got one run back in the top of the eighth. Carone opened with a single, Pawlak reached on an error, and then Brandon Pouch singled to load the bases with just one out. Cannon's sacrifice fly to right center brought home Carone, but Tiger reliever Adam Mays minimized the damage and escaped the jam by getting a fly out.
 
Wittenberg added on with its final run of the day in the bottom of the eighth, using a hit-by-pitch and a double.  Chutko and Carone each singled in the top of the ninth, but were both stranded as the Tigers closed out the win.

Jarod Deagan started and was saddled with the loss for Allegheny, working 4 1/3 innings and allowing seven runs on seven hits. The sophomore was hamstrung by his defense, however, as five of the runs were unearned, as the Gators committed five errors behind him.  Perry threw 1 2/3 innings and was charged with two runs (one earned), while Neamon threw the final two frames, allowing one run on two hits.
 
Wittenberg was led offensively by Jack Hollinshead, who went 4-for-5 with three runs scored.  Gage Caprenter added two hits, while Ryan Probst scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.  In relief of starter Tannger Griggs, Mays earned the win, working 4 1/3 innings and allowing one unearned run on four hits.
 
GAME TWO – WITTENBERG 13, ALLEGHENY 0
In the nightcap, Wittenberg broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth inning and never looked back, earning the sweep with the lopsided win.
 
The Tigers' offense pounded out 16 hits, including seven for extra bases, while their hurlers scattered Allegheny hits in the shutout.
 
Allegheny hurler Sean Kealey started strong, allowing just two walks and no hits through the first three innings.  In the fourth, Kealey ran into a spot of trouble, as Wittenberg's Patrick Kenney reached on an error to lead off, before a single and walk would load the bases.  Kenney scored the Tigers' first run of the game on a sacrifice fly from Hollinshead, before a hit batter would re-load the bases.  Kealey would then minimize the damage and escape the jam with an inning-ending groundout.
 
The hosts upped their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, when Matt Baker led off with a single and scored after a sacrifice bunt and another one-base hit.
 
After only managing singles from Cannon and Tyler Hettich through the first five innings, the Gators looked to put together a rally in the top of the sixth.  Bret Kelly singled, moved to second on a Pouch sacrifice bunt, and took third on another Cannon single.  Kelly then attempted to score on a fly ball to left field, but was cut down at the plate for the inning-ending double play.
 
Wittenberg would then explode for six runs on six hits to break open an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth, and the Gators would strand a pair of runners in the top of the seventh after singles from Pawlak and Chutko. 
 
After the Tigers added on three more runs in the seventh and two in the eighth, the Gators looked for one more last-ditched rally in the ninth, as Hettich was hit by a pitch, Andrew Vincent singled, and Evan Davis walked, but a pair of popups would end the threat and seal the win for the Tigers.
 
Cannon was the lone Gator to record multiple hits, going 2-for-4, while Hettich reached base twice with a single and hit-by-pitch.  Kealey saw his record drop to 4-4, finishing with a line of eight runs (seven earned) on six hits, with two strikeouts and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.
 
Tim Bates went 3-for-6 with two RBIs to lead Wittenberg's 16-hit attack, while Baker and David Hamrick each had two hits and three runs scored.  Jace Barga started and worked eight scoreless frames to earn the win, scattering six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
 
The Gators will have a quick turnaround, as they remain in the state of Ohio to take on Mount Union in a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader on Sun. Apr. 29.