Gators Earn Split with Denison

Mar 31, 2007

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Allegheny College Gators snapped their 12-game losing skid with a split against Denison University on Saturday afternoon, winning the first game of a double header 4-3 before falling 13-3 in the nightcap.

In the opening game, whose start was delayed because of a thunderstorm, the teams played through a scoreless first two innings, before the Gators erupted for four runs in the top of the third inning, the first runs coming when Brian Schmidt (Utica, Pa./Franklin) singled, scoring Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls), giving the Blue and Gold a 1-0 lead. A batter later, Matt Young (State College, Pa./State College) hit his first home run of the 2007 season, a three-run blast, scoring himself, Schmidt and Eric Rich (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township).

The 4-0 cushion would be more than enough for starting pitcher Colt Viehdorfer (Morrisdale, Pa./West Branch), who gave up one run in the bottom of the third, fourth and seventh innings, respectively.

Each of the teams’ five hits came from different batters, while Young drove in three to pace the squad. Viehdorfer pitched the entire seven innings in picking up the win, giving up seven hits and three earned runs, while walking none and striking out three.

In the second game the Gators started quickly, taking a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning when three singles, by Rich, Young and James Fago (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) drove in Rich. Denison responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, before adding another in the second and two more in the third, taking a 7-1 lead through three innings.

Allegheny fought back, as they added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning when Fago scored on an error by the Denison pitcher, before Joe Jurinko (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) singled, scoring Pete Obourn, cutting the deficit to four at 7-3.

The Big Red put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth inning, when the hosts scored three runs, taking a 10-3 lead, before adding three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, giving the game its 13-3 final score.

Fago was a perfect 2-for-2 from the plate, while Rich was 2-for-4, as the pair combined for four of the team’s seven hits. Aaron Skalko (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) picked up the loss, pitching three innings, giving up three hits, and six earned runs, while striking out two.

The Gators stay in Granville, where they will face off against the Big Red in a nine-inning game on Sunday, April 1 starting at noon.

Printable Version