WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- The Allegheny baseball team swept a pair of nonconference games at Waynesburg in the Gators' final action before heading west to Arizona later this week, taking the opener, 9-3, and the night cap, 5-3.
With the victories, the Gators secure their first two wins of the season and improve to 2-5 overall. It also brings Allegheny's all-time record against Waynesburg to 6-7.
In the first game, junior lefty
Sean Kealey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) earned his first victory of the season by working the first 4.0 innings and surrendering just two hits and one run. Kealey also struck out six (equaling his season average) and walked none. Sophomore
Justin Brucker (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) picked up his first career save, tossing the final 3.0 innings and giving up three hits and two runs with two strike outs.
Offensively, freshman third baseman
Brett Heckert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) paced the bats with a pair of hits and the first three RBI of his collegiate tenure. Senior left fielder
Brandon Pouch (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny), sophomore catcher
Luke Chutko (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and junior center fielder
Bret Kelly (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) each posted two hits as the Gators equaled their season high with 14 hits in the game.
The night cap was started by senior
Joe Nagel (Sewickley, Pa./Sewickley Academy), who earned his seventh career victory with a stat line of 4.0 innings, six hits, two runs (one earned), one strike out and no walks. Senior
Dalton Donachie (New Springfield, Ohio/Springfield Local) collected his second save as a Gator by working the final 3.0 innings and scattering three hits and one run, while striking out three.
Allegheny struck first again in game two when senior shortstop
Austin Bristol (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Pouch. He later came in when Chutko singled through the left side, 1-0.
After Waynesburg got a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, a two-run single by Bristol plated senior second baseman
Vincent Carone (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and junior right fielder
Keegan Phillips (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) in the top of the second 3-2. The Gators tacked on insurance runs in the third and fourth innings as senior designated hitter
Max Sessions (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) delivered a two-out, RBI single in the third and Bristol and Carone (home) executed a double steal in the fourth.
Bristol went 3-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and a run in game two, while Chutko was 2-for-4 with an RBI, stolen base and run scored. Carone was 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs and a steal.
The Gators are back in action in Tucson, Arizona for seven games between Saturday, March 16 and Friday, March 22. The trip begins with a doubleheader against Macalester (Minn.) at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. eastern and 3 p.m. local time.
