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Allegheny College Athletics

The Official Athletics Site Of The Allegheny Gators
Liam Irving vs. St. John Fisher in Auburndale, Fla., Feb. 28, 2026. Photo by Sheri Skaggs.
Sheri Skaggs
5
Bluffton BLUFFTON 1-1
7
Winner Allegheny ALL 3-2
Bluffton BLUFFTON
1-1
5
Final
7
Allegheny ALL
3-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Bluffton BLUFFTON 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 0 5 5 1
Allegheny ALL 3 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 X 7 7 1

W: Mariano, Jackson (1-0) L: R. Reyna (0-1) S: Alspaugh, Michael (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Beats Bluffton, 7-5

AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Allegheny College baseball team earned the first win of its annual spring break trip in Central Florida on Sunday afternoon, as the Gators defeated Bluffton University, 7-5, at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.

The Gators (3-2) scored all seven runs in the first five innings and set the tone early with a three-spot in the bottom of the first. A wild pitch with the bases loaded allowed the first run to reach home, followed by a two-run single off the bat of Tyler Skaggs (Champion Heights, Ohio/Champion). Ryan Cochran (Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) laced an RBI single down the left field line in the second to make it 4-0, and Connor Kunkle (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) made it a 5-1 lead on a wild pitch in the fourth.

Bluffton (1-1) got two runs back in the top half of the fifth, but the Gators responded with two of their own to push the lead back to four runs. Elijah Muckle (Shaler, Pa./Shaler Area) earned an RBI after being plunked with the bases loaded, and Kunkle drew a walk in the next at-bat to force home another run.

After getting Allegheny out of the fifth, southpaw reliever Jackson Mariano (Bradenton, Fla./Inspiration Academy) added two more scoreless innings to his ledger. Clinging to a two-run lead in the ninth, righty Michael Alspaugh (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) entered out of the bullpen and saved the victory with a 1-2-3 frame of his own.

Inside the Box Score
  • Six Allegheny batters combined for seven hits against the Beavers.
  • Cochran was the only Gator with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with one walk, one run, and one RBI.
  • Liam Irving (Olney, Md./Sherwood) finished 1-for-4 with a team-high two runs scored.
  • Skaggs was 1-for-3 with a game-high two RBIs.
  • Noah Philson (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) had Allegheny's only extra-base hit, a double to lead off the second.
  • Starter Owen White (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) allowed three runs on one hit, five walks, and a game-high six strikeouts in the no-decision.
  • Mariano earned the win on the mound after pitching 3.0 innings with two hits and one strikeout.
  • Alspaugh struck out two of the three Beavers he faced for the save in the ninth.
  • Bluffton was held to five hits, all singles.
  • Out of the ninth spot in the lineup, Torin Long was 0-for-1, but walked three times and scored thrice.

News and Notes
  • Allegheny improved to 3-2 overall, while Bluffton fell to 1-1.
  • Sunday's matchup was the first ever between the Gators and Beavers.
  • Mariano earned his first career win out of the bullpen in his collegiate debut.
  • Fellow pitchers Alspaugh and White also made their first-ever appearance as a Gator.
  • Nick Banez (Edmonds, Wash./Meadowdale) extended his hit streak to seven consecutive games dating back to 2025.
  • Skaggs has five RBIs, four hits, and three doubles in three games over the last three days in Florida.

Up Next
The Gators will take on the University of Dubuque out of Dubuque, Iowa, at the Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Florida, on Monday, March 2. First pitch is slated for 9:15 a.m.


 
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