Gators Drop Pair to Lords

Apr 14, 2006

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon Lords swept the Allegheny College Gators in the first day of a two-day quadruple-header 16-7 and 10-4, knotting the two teams at 5-5 in the NCAC, fighting for the second and final spot in the NCAC Tournament.

Things looked promising for the Gators at the start of the first game, as the Blue and Gold took off to a 3-0 lead, scoring a run in the first inning and two more in the second, before the bats went cold, as Kenyon scored the next 12 runs of the game, taking a 12-3 lead before cruising to the 16-7 first-game victory.

The Gators took the 1-0 lead when Matt DeGiovanni (Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon) grounded out to the second baseman, scoring Dan Ayer (Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon), who singled to start the game.

In the second inning, Matt Young (State College) homered, scoring Zack Oblak (Harrison City/Penn-Trafford), giving the Blue and Gold a 3-0 lead through an inning and a half.

The Lords responded with a four-run bottom of the second inning, as the hosts hit three doubles, driving in one run with each, taking the one-run lead into the third inning. Kenyon added a run in the third inning, before Jake Calcei homered to start the fourth inning. The Lords added another run in the frame, taking a 5-3 lead.

The Kenyon bats erupted in the fifth inning, scoring five runs, and increasing their lead to 12-3. The Gators responded with their fourth run of the game when Oblak scored on an error by the Lord third baseman, cutting the deficit to eight at 12-4. Another four runs in the bottom of the sixth took the host lead to 16-4.

The Blue and Gold rallied in the top of the seventh inning, as Oblak knocked in Pete Obourn (Farmington, N.Y./Victor). Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) singled, scoring Dirk Bonessa (Pittsburgh/Shady Side), before Oblak was driven in by a single by Young, providing the final runs of the contest in the 16-7 loss.

Fernandez was 2-for-2 at the plate, while Oblak was 3-for-4 on the day. Young and Bonessa were each 2-for-3, as Oblak scored three times and Young drove in a trio of runs.

Colt Viehdorfer (Morrisdale, Pa./West Branch) picked up the loss, pitching four and a third inning, giving up nine earned runs on 13 hits, striking out one batter in the process.

In the nightcap of the opening day, the Lords scored first, when Calcei hit a solo home run, his second of the day, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead, the first hit given up on the day by pitcher Jon Schmitt (Bolivar, N.Y./Bolivar-Richburg). The Gators countered with a two-run triple off of the bat of Eric Rich (McMurray/Peters Township), scoring Ayer and Young, before being driven in by a seeing-eye single up the middle off the bat of Oblak, giving the Gators a 3-1 lead after three innings.

The Blue and Gold tacked on another run in the top of the fourth inning, when Ayer drove in Fernandez with a single up the middle, taking the Gator lead to three at 4-1. The Lords knotted the game at four apiece with a single, double and home run, with Calcei hitting his second round-tripper of the game and third of the series before taking their first lead of the game later in the inning on a double by Brendan Holsberry.

The Gator deficit was increased to two, when Brad Reynolds hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the Lords a 6-4 advantage. Kenyon added four insurance runs in the top of the sixth, before holding the Gators scoreless in the top of the seventh, giving the hosts the 10-4 victory.

Schmitt pitched the complete game, giving up 10 runs, 7 earned, on 11 hits while striking out a pair.

The two teams meet up tomorrow for the third and fourth games of the series, played at McCloskey Field in Gambier, Ohio.

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