MEADVILLE, Pa. – Behind a dominant game one outing from senior pitcher John Fortunato (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales), the No. 16 nationally ranked Case Western Reserve University baseball team split a doubleheader at Allegheny College on Tuesday afternoon at the Robertson Complex.
The Spartans (26-8) took game one by a score of 5-1 before the Gators (23-8) responded with a 13-3 victory in game two.
Fortunato (7-1) struck out seven over seven innings of four-hit ball in the opener. The complete game was Fortunato's second this season and fourth career.
In two games at the plate, junior second baseman Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) went 4-for-8 with a double and a stolen base.
In game one, the Spartans utilized a four-run seventh inning to stretch their win streak to seven. With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the frame, the Spartans loaded the bases and scored on an error before freshman outfielder Antonio Damiano (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast) laced a three-run double down the left field line.
For the game, Cain went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while junior catcher Jordan Swisher (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) was a perfect 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.
The Spartans then got on the board quickly in game two as Cain scored via an RBI groundout by his brother, freshman outfielder Aaron Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban), in the top of the second. However, the Gators responded immediately with five in the bottom half as Mike Pezzone provided a three-run double. Allegheny extended its lead to 8-1 with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning then added three more tallies in the bottom of the sixth to build an 11-1 advantage.
Freshman Jake Shields (Hamilton, Ohio/Ross Senior) suffered the loss on the mound to fall to 5-2. Steven Ramsdell (6-1) was the winner for Allegheny with seven strikeouts and just one earned run allowed in seven innings.
In a quiet game at the plate for CWRU, Kerrigan Cain was 2-for-4.
Joe Killian and Zach Gray each collected two hits for the Gators.
The Spartans now return home to open a six-game home stand at Nobby's Ballpark. No. 7 Heidelberg University is the first opponent tomorrow (Wednesday, April 23) for a single game at 4:00 p.m.