MEADVILLE, Pa. --  The Gators closed out the 2021 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) baseball slate with a doubleheader split against Kenyon at the Robertson Athletic Complex, earning a 13-4 win in game one before falling in the nightcap by a score of 5-0.

With the split, the Allegheny baseball team moves to 15-10 overall and closes out NCAC East play with a 7-5 record after taking three-of-four from the Lords.

The Blue & Gold started strong through the first two innings of the opener, with starter Nick Tarasi (Gibsonia, Pa./Shady Side Academy) fanning the first five hitters he faced, and RBI base knocks by Brayden Cartwright (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) and Roman Santia (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) putting Allegheny ahead, 2-0, in the bottom of the second.

The Gators blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth with six runs, with the big blows coming on a two-run triple by Jacob Budnar (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights), a two-run double by Luke Chutko (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and a two-run homer by Tyler Hettich (Sarver, Pa./Freeport). The home team added two more in the bottom of the fifth when Dalton DuBois (Bemus Point, N.Y./Maple Grove) brought in Budnar, who walked to lead off, on a double to center and then came in to score on a throwing error following a single by Chutko.

Tarasi picked up his first win of the season, working the first 6.2 innings and surrendering six hits and four runs (three earned), while striking out a career-high eight hitters and walking just one over 102 pitches. Wyatt Wright (Guys Mills, Pa./Maplewood) closed the door, getting the final out on a strikeout looking.

Chutko led all players with three hits in the opener, his team-leading 10th multi-hit game of the season. Cartwright joined Chutko with a multi-hit showing, supplying two hits of his own, while Budnar, Chutko and Hettich all drove in two RBI. As a team, Allegheny recorded 12 hits, tied for its third most in a game this season.

Four Gators collected hits in the nightcap, with Brett Heckert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) collecting the lone extra-base hit on a double in the bottom of the seventh. DuBois, Chutko and Ryan Dougherty (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) added base knocks of their own.

Nolan Thompson (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) suffered the loss on the mound, allowing six hits and five runs (four earned) over 5.0-plus innings, with six strikeouts and two walks.

Allegheny is set to conclude the regular season over the weekend with a four-game nonconference series against Denison. The first two games are slated to be contested in Meadville on Saturday, May 8, before the two teams play in Granville, Ohio on Sunday, May 9.