BUTLER, Pa. – Denison used a pair of strong starts, both on the mound and at the plate, to sweep Allegheny in a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader at Kelly Automotive Park.
The Big Red won by scores of 5-3 and 7-0, and improve to 14-6 overall, and 3-1 in the NCAC. The Gators fall to 8-13 overall, and 3-3 in the conference.
GAME ONE – Denison 5, Allegheny 3
In the opener, the Big Red rode a hot start and a strong performance on the mound to earn a 5-3 victory.
In the top of the first, Denison struck for three runs, with the big hit a two-run single with two outs from Jack Blanchard.
The Gators answered right back with a pair of two-out runs of their own in the bottom of the first. With one out,
Brandon Pouch singled, before
Tyler Wagner drew a two-out walk two batters later.
Luke Chutko then racked a double to the left field corner to score Wagner and Chutko and make the score 3-2.
The Big Red loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second, but Gator starter
Jarod Deagan was able to minimize the damage, yielding only a sacrifice fly from Sam Frazen give Denison a 4-2 lead.
Deagan and Denison's Danny Brackman would then lock into a pitcher's duel. After Chutko's double, Brackman retired 13 straight batters, until
Vincent Carone's two-out single in the bottom of the fifth. The Big Red offense managed only two baserunners off of Deagan between the third and fifth innings, before the sophomore stranded a pair in scoring position to end the top of the sixth.
The Gators would again make it a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth, as with two outs,
Tyler Wagner laced a line drive home run to left center, his third long ball of the year, to cut the deficit to 4-3.
In the top of the seventh, Allegheny reliever
Travis Neamon pitched out of a jam, stranding Denison runners on second and third, but he wasn't as fortunate in the eighth inning. Vince Walker opened the inning with a triple to the right centerfield gap, and would score on a one-out sacrifice fly from Tanner Johnson to up the advantage to 5-3.
Allegheny couldn't cut into the deficit the rest of the way, as Denison closer Mikey Rivera retired all six batters he faced, with two strikeouts, over the eighth and ninth innings to earn the save.
For the game, Denison out-hit the Gators 11-4, with Graidy Paine leading the way by going 3-for-5, while Frazen and Tanner Johnson each had two hits. Brackman improved to 2-0 on the mound, working seven innings and allowing three runs on four hits, with six strikeouts and one walk.
Deagan was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits, with two strikeouts and two walks, in six innings of work. Neamon allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings, while
Nick DiBucci recorded the final four outs.
GAME TWO – Denison 7, ALLEGHENY 0
Game two started off in much of the same fashion as the first, as the Big Red had a walk, two hits, and a run before recording an out in the top of the first inning. As Deagan did in game one, the Gators' game two starter,
Dalton Donachie, pitched his way out of trouble, getting a ground out and a pop up to keep the deficit at 1-0.
Donachie threw a pair of clean innings, before running into trouble again in the top of the fourth. Will Krushena reached on an error with one out, before stealing second and third. He would then come across with Denison's second run of the night after a suicide squeeze bunt from Nick Pettigrew.
The Big Red then took advantage of a pair of Allegheny errors to score two more unearned runs in the top of the fifth with Brian McAuliffe recording an RBI double, and Krushena a sacrifice fly, to go in front 4-0.
The Big Red added a single run in the top of the eighth, before putting the game away with a two-run double in the ninth by Brian McAuliffe to make it 7-0.
Meanwhile, Denison starter Pearley Provost was masterful in keeping the Gators at bay. Allegheny managed just six hits off the veteran, who retired the side in order in three different innings. Provost also took advantage of a Big Red defense that secured a pair of double plays behind him. The hurler improved to 4-0 on the year and lowered his ERA to 2.97, as he struck out 10 Gators against just one walk.
Tommy Cannon had two of Allegheny's seven hits in the game, with a sixth inning double and a ninth inning single.
Ethan Pawlak also doubled, while Pouch, Chutko, Flaherty, and
Tyler Hettich had one hit apiece.
After the shaky first inning, Donachie recovered nicely. He threw 8.0 innings, allowing five runs (just two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts.
The Gators will return to action on Wednesday, hosting Fredonia at 3:00 p.m. in the much-anticipated 2018 home opener at the Robertson Athletic Complex.
