MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College baseball team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play with a doubleheader sweep of Franciscan University, winning by scores of 3-1 and 6-0 on Sunday afternoon.

The games marked Allegheny's first at the newly renovated and renamed Garbark Field, which was refurbished with a turf infield this spring. Formerly known as the Robertson Baseball Field, "Garby Yards" will be formally dedicated to alumnus and former coach Robert M. Garbark '32, on Friday, April 21, before the doubleheader against Waynesburg University on Saturday, April 22.

Allegheny 3, Franciscan 1
Bobby Kusinsky (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) tossed a gem in his longest outing of the year. The senior righty did not allow an earned run and struck out a season-high eight. He faced the minimum between the fourth and seventh innings, and his only blemish was an unearned run in the top of the eighth. Kusinsky, who had to field his position on a few occasions, also received outstanding defense from several teammates behind him.

Out of the bullpen, Walker Cunningham (Cambridge Springs, Pa./Cambridge Springs) shut the door in the ninth and picked up a save with a 1-2-3 inning.

Two-thirds of Allegheny's run production came from Tyson Bryant-Dawson (Oakland, Calif./Manvel (Texas)). The slugging outfielder legged out a one-run triple in the first and smashed a lead-off home run in the seventh. The Gators added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, as Jacob Stotsky (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy) was hit by a pitch, stole second, and raced home on a Brady Nolin (Cumberland, Maine/Greely) RBI single.

Allegheny 6, Franciscan 0
Not wanting to be outshone by his teammate Kusinsky, fellow Allegheny starter Daniel Morgano (Allison Park, Pa./Vincentian Academy) was just as good on the mound in the nightcap. Morgano, who also made his longest appearance of the 2023 campaign, scattered three hits and two walks in 7.0 shutout innings.

Relievers Hunter Lohr (Bowdoinham, Maine/Mt. Ararat) and Garrett Senchur (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) added one scoreless inning apiece, as the Gators held the Barons off the scoreboard in the late game.

Allegheny took the lead with an RBI double from Nolin in the third and made it a 2-0 score on a Ryan Dougherty (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) sac fly in the sixth. But once Franciscan pitcher Jacob Watson was pulled to start the eighth, the Gators quickly pounced on Samuel Tyler and put the game out of reach.

With the bases loaded, Brayden Cartwright (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) poked a run-scoring single down the right-field line. Heads-up baserunning by Bryant-Dawson allowed the speedster to score from third on a wild pitch, and Sullivan Schueltz (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley) dropped a successful sac bunt to make it 5-0. Alejandro Samayoa (Katonah, N.Y./John Jay Cross River) plated Allegheny's sixth run with a two-out RBI base knock.

Inside the Box Score - Game 1

• The Gators outhit the Barons, 10-to-2, but stranded 12 runners on base.
• Both Nolin and Bryant-Dawson were 3-for-5 at the plate, and the duo combined for all three RBIs.
• Schueltz also had multiple hits, going 2-for-4.
• Kusinsky struck out eight and allowed one unearned run in 8.0 innings.
• Cunningham retired the Franciscan side in order to save the victory for the Gators.

Inside the Box Score - Game 2

• Allegheny scored six runs on seven hits.
• Franciscan finished with four hits.
• Cartwright and Samayoa paced all Gators with two hits, and each had one RBI.
• Chase Chodkowski was 1-for-3 with a team-high two runs scored.
• Dougherty did not have a hit but walked twice, drove in one run, and scored another.
• Morgano struck out three in 7.0 scoreless innings to secure the win on the mound.
• Lohr and Senchur each tossed an inning in relief.

News and Notes

• Allegheny improved to 6-8 overall and is 2-0 against PAC opponents.
• Sunday's meeting was Allegheny's first-ever against Franciscan, which restarted its baseball program in 2020.
• The shutout win in Game 2 was the first for the Gators since beating Ohio Wesleyan University, 11-0, on April 16, 2022.
• Bryant-Dawson hit his third home run of the season in the early game.
• Nolin extended his hit streak to eight consecutive games.
• Kusinsky lowered his ERA to a team-best 1.54 and improved to 3-1 this spring.
• Cunningham earned his first-ever save in the first bout.

Up Next
Allegheny returns to Garbark Yards on Tuesday, March 28, when the Gators host Westminster College in a PAC doubleheader at 12:00 p.m.