MEADVILLE, Pa. – Seven innings would not be enough to decide either of the two games on Sunday afternoon between Allegheny and Ohio Wesleyan. Game one went 10 innings before the Battling Bishops (15-12, 6-4 NCAC) edged the Gators (10-12, 3-5 NCAC) 12-11, and game two would go eight innings with the Bishops coming out on top 7-5.
The Bishops took an early six run lead in game one, plating the six runs in the top half of the second inning off Gators' starter David Strawser. In that inning the Bishops batted around and touched up Strawser for seven hits. In the bottom half of the frame, the Gators would score two runs of their own to cut the lead to four, 6-2, through two innings of play.
After Strawser would work around a leadoff double to throw a zero on the board in the top half of the third inning, the Gators came out in the bottom of the frame and scored seven runs on six hits to take a 9-6 lead. Another scoreless inning on the mound for Stawser and two more runs in the bottom of the inning extended the Gators' lead to 11-6.
Trailing by five runs, the Bishops would rally in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 11-all. After throwing a complete game shutout just a day ago, rookie Kyle Davis was called upon to pitch in relief, and went 4 2/3 innings against the Bishops. Davis looked strong on the mound, and held the Bishop's bats in check, striking out four, and only allowing two hits. The go-ahead and eventual game-winning run that Davis gave up came on a throwing error in the top of the 10th inning.
The Gators would find themselves in an early hole in game two after the Bishops tallied two in the opening inning, and held a lead as large as five, 5-0, after four and a half innings of play. An RBI triple by Mike Peresluca followed by a RBI base knock by Jeff Dassner in the bottom of the fourth pulled the Gators to within three runs, 5-2. Another run in sixth would cut the deficit to two, 5-3.
Down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh with Eric Hansen on first base, junior catcher Ben Lowmaster, already 3-for-3 with a double to that point, delivered a game-tying two-run bomb to left field, forcing the second extra-innings game of the afternoon.
The Bishops wasted no time in extra-innings as they plated two runs in their very next at-bat top of the eighth inning. The Gators were retired in order in their half to end the game.
The Gators hit the diamond again on Tuesday, April 12th as they take on Grove City College at Grove City. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.