By Adam Cohen, Athletic Communications Assistant
BECKLEY, W. Va. -- The Allegheny baseball team earned a pair of nonconference victories, 3-2 and 5-3, against Alfred State on Saturday (Feb. 26). The wins improve the Gators' record to 3-2 on the season.
Allegheny took game one thanks to
Conor Deasy's (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) complete-game effort. He set the tone in the first by stranding runners on second and third with one out. The ace of the staff proceeded to go seven innings, scattering six hits, allowing one free pass, and struck out nine batters in 103 pitches.
Jake Stotsky (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy) tacked on the Gators' first run of the game in the second inning with an RBI triple to drive in
Brett Heckert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). Alfred State responded with a two-run fourth inning, but
Brayden Cartwright (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) added Allegheny's second extra-base hit of the game with a two-bagger in the bottom half of the frame to bring across
Ryan Dougherty (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and tie up the game, 2-2.
Chase Chodkowski (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca West) knocked in the eventual game-winning run in the fifth, and was the lone Gator to record a multi-hit game in the front end of the twin bill.
The nightcap featured another good start from Allegheny.
Daniel Morgano (Allison Park, Pa./Vincentian Academy) fired 5.2 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits, while walking one, and punching out eight batters.
Hunter Lohr (Bowdoinham, Maine/Mt. Ararat),
Nolan Thompson (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township), and
Anthony Vazquez (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley) stranded five runners to finish off the game. Vazquez orchestrated a tailor-made double play and strikeout in the ninth to record his first career save.
Offensively,
Jacob Budnar (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) and Dougherty provided two triples each with the former nearly missing an inside-the-park homer on his first attempt. Bundar's three-baggers brought in the first and third runs of the game, whereas Dougherty gave Allegheny it's fourth and fifth runs of the evening. The speedsters and Heckert's own triple set a new Allegheny single-game record with five, eclipsing the Gators' previous high of four triples in a game.
Additionally,
Anthony Maslo (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) added in a sac fly and
Matt Jennings (Birmingham, Mich./Brothers Rice) paced the Gators with two runs scored.
Allegheny will try to sweep the three-game set versus Alfred State tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 27 at Linda K. Epling Stadium at 12 p.m.
