Gators Fall to Wooster in Pair

Apr 2, 2006

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny College baseball team (4-13, 1-3 NCAC) dropped two heartbreakers to the Fighting Scots of The College of Wooster (19-4, 7-1 NCAC) by scores of 3-0 and 3-1.

The third game of the series versus The College of Wooster started out like the first two in a fast-moving pitcher’s duel. Seniors Drew Scibetta (Glenshaw/Shaler) of Allegheny and Walt Samson of Wooster went pitch for pitch with each other as neither gave up a run through regulation.

The Gators threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning, when senior Dan Ayer (Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon) led off with a triple to the right field wall, but was thrown out at home by the left fielder on the next play, a Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Fall, N.Y.) single. Eric Rich’s (McMurray/Peters Township) double put runner’s on second and third, before Matt DeGiovanni (Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon) was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning for the Gators.

Allegheny threatened once again in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Fernandez singled up the middle, advancing to second on an error by the second baseman. The Gators grounded into a double play, sending the game into extra innings.

The Scots took the lead in the top of the eighth after putting runners on first and second on an error and bunt single. A Mike Barone single scored Dean Karpen from second base. With two outs, Wooster added another two runs to their lead on a Oliver Enos double to right field, taking a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the inning.

The lead would prove to be too much for the Gators as pitcher Ryan Mullins took the mound for the Scots in the bottom of the eighth, picking up his first save on the season, retiring the Gators in order.

Scibetta finished the game with 15 strikeouts over the eight innings and scattering nine hits. He recorded 18 strikeouts on the weekend, going 1-1 in nine innings. He has 53 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings this season.

For Wooster, Samson tallied five strikeouts in the shutout, improving to 3-1 on the season.

The Gators recorded five hits in the game, with Ayer, Rich, DeGiovanni, Fernandez and Matt Young (State College) each having a hit.

Game two started off very differently as the first batter of the game, Sean Karpen for Wooster, hit a homerun over the left field wall on the first pitch. The Scots would get a run in each of the next two innings, including a solo homerun by Kurt Kapferer in the top of the third inning.

The Gators would not back down, however, as they would respond with a run of their own, as a single and a double put runners on second and third. Young’s fielder’s choice would score Fernandez from third, narrowing the score to 3-1.

The Gators would threaten again in the fifth inning, putting runners on second and third with one out after a walk and base hit. However, the runners would be stranded after a ground out and fly out to end the attack.

Mullins would take the mound again for the Scots to close out the last two innings of the game, striking out two of the last three batters of the game.

Craig Misiewicz (Bethel Park) struck out eight batters and walked one in the loss, dropping him to 1-2 on the year.

Luke Katich gave up just three hits in five innings while striking out four to improve to 1-2 for the Scots.

Fernandez led the Gators with two hits, while DeGiovanni and Ayer both had one a piece.

The Gators return to action Wednesday, April 5 as they travel to University Heights, Ohio to play 21st ranked John Carroll University in a double header set to start at 2:30 p.m.

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