MEADVILLE, Pa. – An unforgettable comeback kicked off senior day in memorable fashion for the Gators, as Allegheny came firing back from a 7-0 deficit in the fifth inning of a seven-run game one to pick up an 11-10, eight-inning win on Saturday afternoon at Robertson Complex.
Senior Adam Bronson launched the game-winning double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, scoring classmate Zach Gray and awarding Allegheny home field advantage during next week's North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Crossover series against a yet to be determined opponent.
Bronson's game-winner was the last of several massive hits for the Gators, as a game-tying, two-out single by freshman Cullen Flaherty in the seventh and a two-run home run by senior Zach Gray also aided the Allegheny effort.
Trailing by four with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Gators launched an improbable comeback, sending the game into extras. After a double-play brought the Gators down to their final out, junior Joe Killian opened the scoring after a wild pitch. Senior Ben Murray fought back to force a full-count walk to put a man aboard.
Freshman Tyler Wagner followed by scalding a double to right center, moving Murray to third before sophomore Shea Beaumont took a 1-0 fastball up the middle, glancing off of the shortstop's glove into the outfield to score Murray and pinch runner R.J. Baker, closing the gap to 10-9.
Sophomore Andrew Dawson pinch ran for Beaumont, stealing second to move the game-tying run into scoring position. Facing a 2-2 count, Cullen Flaherty came through for the Gators with a single to right field, bringing Dawson home and sending the game into extras.
Kenyon started the scoring with a pair of runs in the third, doing most of the damage in a five-run fifth that put the Lords up, 7-0. Sophomore Robert DiMaggio started the Gators' offense by dropping a single down the right field line that scored Beaumont on Murray. Gray followed with a two-run blast to left center, clearing the wall with room to spare and reducing the deficit to 7-4.
A three-run home run by Kenyon's Phillip Nam gave the visitors a six-run cushion at 10-4 before Beaumont started the rally with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Bronson in the sixth. Flaherty followed with a 3-1 single to score Murray, setting the stage for the squad's rally in the seventh by reducing the Kenyon lead to 10-6.
Gray finished the contest batting 2-for-5 with a pair of runs driven in and two runs scored, as Beaumont batted in a team-high three runs. Flaherty came through late for the Gators, batting 2-of-4 with two runs driven in, as Wagner scattered a pair of hits to assist in the Allegheny effort. Freshman Jameson Murray earned the win, hurling a scoreless eighth inning after senior Matt Jankowiak and freshman Nick DiBucci hurled a scoreless seventh that kept the Gators in contention prior to the late rally.