MEADVILLE, Pa. – Pitching was on display throughout the Gators' North Coast Athletic Conference crossover doubleheader split with visiting Ohio Wesleyan.
In the opener, the Gators received a strong start from Corey Keenan, but were doomed by six errors in the field, as they suffered a 4-2 loss. In the nightcap, reigning NCAC Pitcher of the Year Chase Boyer headlined a group of four Gator hurlers to combine for a six-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory.
GAME ONE – Ohio Wesleyan 4, Allegheny 2
In the rain-soaked first game of the afternoon, the two squads combined for just 12 hits, but Ohio Wesleyan took advantage of Allegheny fielding miscues to pull out the two-run victory.
In the top of the first, the Battling Bishops saw their first two batters reach base, putting men at first and third with no outs after an error and a single. Keenan would then escape the jam, recording back-to-back strikeouts, before ending the inning with a groundout to strand the two Bishop baserunners.
Ohio Wesleyan broke through in the top of the second, using a walk, groundout, and an error to plate an unearned run and take a 1-0 lead.
The Gators answered right back in the home half of the frame. Tyler Wagner singled and Ethan Pawlak doubled to open the inning, putting runners at first and third, before Austin Bristol's ground ball to third brought home Wagner to tie the game at 1-all. Two batters later, Patrick Orr shot a liner into right field to plate Pawlak and give the Gators a 2-1 advantage.
The Bishops would promptly tie the game in the top of the third. After a leadoff double from Aaron Strausbaugh, Devin Van Winkle was hit by a pitch. Colin Stolly followed with a fly ball into the outfield that was dropped. Van Winkle was thrown out at second on the play, but Strausbaugh would advance to third, and scored one batter later on a Chuck Kuhn RBI single. After another hit batter loaded the bases, Keenan again bore down with an inning ending strikeout to limit the damage to just the single run.
Allegheny looked to even the score in the bottom half, as with one out, Jacob Shick doubled and Robert DiMaggio drew a walk. After a strikeout, Pawlak drew a free pass to load the bases, but this time, Ohio Wesleyan hurler Kevin Zullo would escape the frame unscathed after inducing an inning-ending groundout.
Ohio Wesleyan would score its final two runs of the game in the fourth, using a single, double, sacrifice bunt, and sacrifice fly to take a 4-2 lead.
The Gator bats would then go quiet, as Zullo retired six straight batters between the fourth and fifth innings, before reliever Will Clyne allowed just one hit - a single from Pawlak - over the sixth and seventh.
Allegheny had its best chance at a comeback in the bottom of the eighth, as DiMaggio singled and stole second, but he would advance no further, as OWU's third pitcher of the day, Patrick Faley, got a flyout to end the inning. He would then set the Gators down in order in the ninth to close out the victory and earn the save.
Keenan took the hard-luck loss for the Gators, working the first six innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts. Cy Perry threw three scoreless frames in relief for Allegheny, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Zullo was credited with the win for OWU, allowing two runs on four hits with seven K's.
Offensively, the teams mustered just six hits apiece, with Pawlak going 2-for-3 at the dish to lead the Gators, and Michael Blatchford 2-for-4 to pace the Battling Bishops.
GAME TWO – ALLEGHENY 3, OHIO WESLEYAN 0
The Battling Bishops again looked to get off to a hot start in the nightcap. Blatchford began the game with a single to center, but was promptly cut down on an attempted steal of second base by Gator catcher Brandon Pouch. Mitchell Johnson would follow with another single for the Gators, but he, too, was erased off of the basepaths, via a Boyer pickoff. The Gator starter would the complete the unconventional 1-2-3 inning by ending the frame with a popup to right field.
The two teams would continue to trade zeroes over the first three innings, combining for just three baserunners over the span. Ohio Wesleyan attempted to piece together a rally in the top of the fourth, putting two men aboard after an error and a single, but Boyer escaped trouble by ending the frame with a 3-6-1 double play.
Pouch opened the bottom of the fourth with a single, before a sacrificial bunt attempt from Shick was misplayed, moving Pouch to third and putting Shick at second. Pouch would then score the game's first run on a groundout from Pawlak to give the Gators a 1-0 lead.
Boyer struck out the side in the top of the fifth, and the Gators rewarded his efforts by scratching across an insurance run in the bottom half. Noah Shannon led off the frame with an infield single, and moved up 90 feet on a Vincent Carone sac bunt. Pouch would then follow with his second single of the day, bringing home Shannon to put the Gators up 2-0.
Boyer gave way to the Gator bullpen with one down in the sixth inning, and the relievers proved to be just as effective. Sean Kealey was the first to be summoned from the pen and got the final two outs of the sixth. After a pair of popups in the seventh, Kealey surrendered a walk, but Travis Neamon came on to end the inning with a groundout.
The Battling Bishops looked to threaten in the top of the eighth, as a single and a hit batter put the go-ahead run at the plate with no outs. Neamon would then record a pair of fly outs to left field, before he ended the frame with a strikeout to keep OWU off the scoreboard.
The Gators would add their third and final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth as Shick opened the inning with a single, moved to third on a one-base hit by Pawlak, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
Rookie Jarod Deagan then came on to close the game out in the ninth, and the reigning NCAC Pitcher of the Week needed just six pitches to record the final three outs and earn his first career save.
Allegheny out-hit Ohio Wesleyan 7-6 in the win, with Pouch and Pawlak each finishing 2-for-4.
In his first start in seven weeks, Boyer earned his second victory of the season, as he worked 5.1 scoreless innings, and allowed just four hits while striking out five.
Chris Punka started and took the hard-luck loss in the pitcher's duel, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in 5.1 innings.
With the split, the Gators move to 15-10 on the season. They will return to action with a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader at Penn State-Behrend, beginning at 2 p.m., before resuming the busy week with a Wednesday non-conference matinee against Thiel at the Robertson Athletic Complex.