MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College baseball team needed a late-inning comeback in the second half of Sunday's doubleheader to salvage a series split against Hilbert College at Robert M. Garbark '32 Field.

After falling 3-1 in the first game against the Hawks (8-7), the Gators (8-8) rallied from behind to win the nightcap, 8-6.

Hilbert 3, Allegheny 1
Allegheny more than doubled Hilbert's hit total, 9-to-4, and although the Gators had their fair share of run-scoring opportunities, the big hit eluded them. They put two runners on in the first, third, and seventh but failed to score a run in either frame. The only run for Allegheny came in the bottom of the fourth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, and a wild pitch from Hilbert starter Nolan Evans allowed first-year shortstop Garrett Lienhard (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) to trot home safely.

Hilbert took advantage of two errors and scored all of their runs in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and second, an errant pickoff attempt at the keystone allowed both Hawks to advance. Following an RBI grounder to short for the second out of the inning, another error by the Gators' shortstop extended the inning and allowed an unearned run to reach home plate. Back-to-back walks pushed across a third run before reliever Lucas Bauer (Saint Marys, Pa./Saint Marys Area) caught Evans looking for strike three to limit the damage.

Allegheny 8, Hilbert 6
Unlike Sunday's matinee, the Gators kept the line moving in the first inning of the nightcap. Allegheny scored three runs on four hits, beginning with a loud lead-off double from Tyson Bryant-Dawson (Oakland, Calif. Manvel (Texas)). Tommy Landsnes (Richmond, Va./Brunswick Academy) and Alejandro Samayoa (Katonah, N.Y./John Jay Cross River) both logged RBI base hits in the inning as the Gators jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Righty Ben Shields (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi Area) pitched well in his first three innings on the mound, but his shutout unraveled in the fourth. Shields struck out two of the first four batters he faced, but he plunked Joey Haynes to load the bases. Hilbert's third baseman, Harley Hoag, promptly cleared them with one swing of the bat, a grand slam over the wall in right field that erased the deficit and put the Hawks up 5-4.

Trailing 6-4, the Gators scored the last four runs of the game, including another three-spot in the sixth inning, to complete the comeback. Matt Jennings (Birmingham, Mich./Brother Rice) poked a two-out, two-run double down the right field line, driving in the tying and go-ahead runs. In the next at-bat, Hilbert's second baseman dropped a routine pop-up in the infield, and Jennings raced home for an insurance run.

Out of the bullpen, Parker McRay (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) racked up strikeouts to seal the victory. All three of his outs in the fifth were strikeouts, and he sat down two apiece in the sixth and seventh.

Inside the Box Score: Game 1

• Allegheny scored one run on nine hits and committed two errors.
• Hilbert scored three runs on four hits and matched Allegheny's error total.
• Allegheny's pitching staff supplemented the Hawks' baserunning efforts with nine walks and two hit batters.
• On the other hand, the Hawks struck out nine Gators and allowed only one base on balls.
• Lienhard was 3-for-3 with Allegheny's lone run scored.
• Catcher Tyler Skaggs (Champion Heights, Ohio/Champion) was 2-for-4 at the plate.
• Dawson Thomas (Espyville, Pa./Conneaut Area) was tagged with the loss after giving up three unearned runs in 3.2 innings.
• Evans, who pitched 4.0 innings before moving to centerfield, earned the win for Hilbert with 4.0 one-run innings.
• Joe Reitebach picked up a save in relief with five strikeouts in 3.0 scoreless innings.

Inside the Box Score: Game 2

• Allegheny once again outhit Hilbert 11-to-9.
• Four Gators had multiple hits, including the top three batters in the lineup.
• Bryant-Dawson was 2-for-4 with two runs.
• Jennings also went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
• Out of the three-hole, Landsnes batted 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
• William Wolff (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast) tied Jennings for the team lead with two RBIs.
• Hoag, who was walked or hit by a pitch in every plate appearance in the opener, finished 2-for-4 with a grand slam in the late game for Hilbert.
• McRay picked up a game-high seven strikeouts in just 3.0 innings of relief.
• Hilbert starter Dylan Moorehouse allowed five runs in 5.0 innings and struck out six in a no-decision.

News and Notes

• Allegheny's record remains even at .500 following Sunday's split.
• The Gators lead the all-time series, which began in 2024, with a 3-1 record against the Hawks.
• Bryant-Dawson and Skaggs extended their on-base streaks to a team-best 14 consecutive games.
• McCray, a freshman southpaw, finished with season-highs in strikeouts (7) and innings (3.0) en route to his first collegiate victory.

Up Next
The Gators are back at Garbark Field to host Baldwin Wallace University on Wednesday, March 26, at 3:00 p.m.