Gators Fall in Two to Presidents

Mar 18, 2007

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Allegheny College Gators fell to 0-4 on the young season with a pair of losses to the Washington & Jefferson University Presidents. W&J, who was receiving votes in the preseason national coaches poll, won the first game 12-4 before squeaking out a 6-3 win in the nightcap.

W&J jumped out early on the Gators, scoring at least one run in each of the first six innings, leading 12-0 after six frames. Allegheny countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Mike Pereslucha (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski) led off the inning with a walk and Eric Rich (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) reached on a fielding error by the pitcher. Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) singled, scoring Pereslucha, before Matt Young (State College, Pa./State College) reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Rich.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, John Hess (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) hit a two-run home run, scoring Pete Obourn (Farmington, N.Y./Victor), and giving the game its 12-4 final score.

Allegheny was held to just three hits in the loss, with Rich, Fernandez and Hess accounting for the three. Aaron Skalko (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) picked up the loss for the Gators, pitching four innings of work, striking out two and giving up seven earned runs before Brandon Majkowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) came in in relief and gave up two hits and struck out three in three innings of relief.

The second game started well for the Gators, as Hess, starting at pitcher, carried a no-hitter through five and a third innings, before giving up an infield single with an out in the sixth inning. The Allegheny bats warmed up in the second inning when Zack Skowvron (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) doubled down the left field line, scoring Hess and Obourn, who reached via a single and a hit-by-pitch. Skowvron was then driven in by Rich, who singled in Skowvron, giving the Gators a 3-0 lead.

Washington & Jefferson scored a pair of hitless runs in the third inning, cutting the deficit to 3-2, before the Presidents ended the no-hit bid, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the game its 6-3 final score.

Rich, Beckett and Young each had two hits for Allegheny, with Skowvron driving in a pair. Hess pitched five and a third inning in the game, striking out six and allowing four earned runs. Justin Abbott (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) pitched the last two thirds of the game, giving up just one hit.

The Gators have a day off before facing off against Otterbein College, the preseason #1 team in the nation according to the coaches poll.

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