MEADVILLE, Pa. – Allegheny and Kenyon split a pivotal North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader on a steamy afternoon at the Robertson Athletic Complex.
Early offense proved to be the theme in the twinbill, as the Gators rode a six-run first inning to an 11-0 win in the opener, before Kenyon scored four runs in the top of the first in the nightcap in a 6-1 victory.
With the split, the Gators (16-20) enter their final doubleheader of the regular season with a 7-9 NCAC mark, two games out of the fourth and final conference playoff berth, while Kenyon (15-15) enters the final weekend with a 9-7 NCAC record.
GAME ONE – Allegheny 11, Kenyon 0
Behind an opportunistic offense and a stellar start from sophomore southpaw
Nate Pastorek, the Gators earned their second shutout victory of the season with an 11-0 win over the Lords.
The Allegheny offense belted out 19 hits, while Pastorek struck out eight batters and scattered just six hits in eight innings of work to pick up his second victory of the season.
Ten different Gators found the hit column, paced by
Vincent Carone's 4-for-5 showing,
Luke Chutko went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while
Tyler Hettich,
Ethan Pawlak,
Cullen Flaherty, and
Brandon Pouch each had two hits in four at bats.
Allegheny went to work right away in the bottom of the first.
Bret Kelly opened by reaching on an error, but after a fly out, he was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of
Tommy Cannon. The Gators would then mount quite a two-out rally.
Tyler Wagner's single moved Cannon to second, while Flaherty's single to left center played Cannon with the first run of the game. Chutko followed with an RBI single to bring home Wagner, while Pawlak beat out a ground ball for an infield single to load the bases. Hettich then laced a single to left to score Chutko and Flaherty, before Carone's first hit of the day scored Pawlak to make it 5-0. The Gators would then plate their sixth run of the inning on a double steal attempt, with Hettich scoring when a relay throw to home on Carone's steal of second went wide.
The Gators added on with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Cannon doubled to the corner in left, before Flaherty snuck an RBI single through the right side to make it 7-0. Chutko would promptly follow with a double down the third base line to bring home Flaherty with Allegheny's eighth run.
Staked to the early lead, Pastorek was masterful from the start, allowing just one hit and two walks through the first five innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Gators took a 9-0 lead on an RBI groundout from Kelly, before Pastorek pitched around a one-out single and a two-out error in the sixth to keep the shutout in tact.
Allegheny closed out its scoring in the bottom of the sixth, scoring a pair of runs on three hits. Chutko, who drew a lead off walk in the frame, scored on an RBI groundout by Hettich, while Pawlak, who laced a one-out single, scored on a ringing pinch-hit single from
Noah Shannon to go up 11-0.
Pastorek continued to cruise, striking out four batters between the sixth and eighth inning, before giving way to
Nick Tarasi, who pitched around a two-out single in the ninth to preserve the shutout win.
Ross Scheinberg started and took the loss for Kenyon, allowing eight runs (two earned) on nine hits in 1 2/3 innings. Mikey Arman totaled three of his team's seven hits in the loss.
GAME TWO – Kenyon 6, Allegheny 1
As Allegheny did in the opener, Kenyon got off to a hot start in the first inning of game two, sending eight men to the plate to score four runs on two singles, a walk, an error, and a wild pitch.
The Gators got one run back in the bottom of the second, as Shannon drew a one-out walk, before scoring on another RBI single from Hettich to cut the gap to 4-1, but Kenyon added an unearned run in the top of the third without the aid of a hit. Matt von Roemer was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a ground out, took third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.
Kenyon starter Patrick Craig and the Gators'
Dalton Donachie would then lock into a pitcher's duel over the next several frames. Craig set the Gators down in order in the third fourth, and sixth innings, while stranding a pair of baserunners in the fifth after Carone and Kelly singled.
Donachie was just as effective, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts between the fourth and seventh, highlighted by a sixth inning in which he struck out the side. After allowing a one-out single and a hit batter in the seventh, Donachie deftly pitched out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play.
Allegheny looked to mount the comeback trail in the seventh, as Hettich and Kelly each reached on errors, but Craig got an inning-ending strikeout to keep the score at 6-1.
The Lords added an unearned run in the eighth, as von Roemer was again hit by a pitch before eventually scoring on a two-out error, and the Gators were unable to muster another comeback over Kenyon reliever Jesse Bogacz, who retired six of the seven batters he faced over the final two frames to close out the win.
After the impressive 19-hit outing in the opener, the Gators only managed a season-low three base knocks in the nightcap, singles from Kelly, Hettich, and Carone.
Donachie recovered from the shaky first to finish with a line of six runs (two earned) on just five hits, with a season-high nine strikeouts.
Travis Neamon threw a scoreless 1 2/3 innings.
Craig improved to 3-2 on the season, as the rookie lefty allowed just one run on three hits with two strikeouts. Paul Siciliano had three of Kenyon's six hits, while teammate Patrick O'Leary added two.
The Gators will now close out the regular season with a Senior Day doubleheader against DePauw on Sat. May 5 at the Robertson Athletic Complex. The Gators will need to sweep the series and receive some help in order to earn the fourth and final spot into next week's NCAC Championship Tournament.
