LANCASTER, Pa. – On the heels of a 20-hit attack in its last time out, the 29th-ranked Gettysburg College baseball pounded out 19 more hits en route to a 21-4 victory at Franklin & Marshall College in a Centennial Conference (CC) tilt Sunday afternoon.
Senior Nate Simon and junior Scott Zanghellini drove in five runs apiece as the Bullets (24-3, 10-0 CC) extended their school-record winning streak to 21 games, the longest such streak in Division III this season.
Simon finished 2-for-4 with his second home run in as many days while scoring three runs for the Bullets, who plated 13 runs after the fifth inning. Zanghellini went 3-for-5 as Gettysburg posted its highest scoring output since a 22-19 victory over Dickinson College on April 15, 2003.
Other big offensive performances were turned in by senior Tommy LeNoir, who was 3-for-4 with four runs, senior Patrick O'Grady, who went 2-for-5 with three runs, and junior Mike Kielbasa, who finished 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. In addition, senior Al Posch scored three runs, with his second giving him 100 for his career at Gettysburg. He is the ninth Bullet in school history to reach the mark and the second in as many games, as O'Grady hit the milestone at Washington on Saturday.
Senior Chris Yoda pitched six innings to earn the win on the mound, holding the Diplomats to four runs (three earned) without allowing a walk. Freshman Aaron Bezio, junior Brett Harrington, and O'Grady all tossed one scoreless inning apiece.
With the win, Gettysburg swept its season series versus F&M (11-17, 3-7 CC) after topping the Diplomats 11-0 in their Centennial Conference opener back on April 1.
The Bullets never trailed, jumping to an early 5-0 lead. Gettysburg scored two unearned runs in the second, then added three runs (two earned) in the third.
Yoda (3-1) retired the first seven batters before F&M got on the scoreboard with a home run from Avery Attinson in the bottom of the third, and the Dips would score single runs in the each of the next three innings as well. However, they were unable to keep pace with the Bullets, who broke the game open with a five-run sixth that made it 13-3. Along the way, Simon stroked a two-run double in the fourth while Zanghellini clouted a three-run double in the sixth. On the mound, Yoda stranded five runners over his final three innings, including four that were in scoring position.
The Bullets continued to pour it on in the seventh, scoring six runs and sending 12 batters to the plate. Simon highlighted the inning with a three-run home run.
Gettysburg set the final score with a two-run ninth.