Allegheny Takes Two from Hiram

Apr 14, 2007

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny College baseball team jumped into the mix in the North Coast Athletic Conference East Division standings on Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader with Hiram College. The Gators opened with a 10-3 victory behind a nice outing from starting pitcher Colt Viehdorfer (Morrisdale, Pa./West Branch), before coming up with four runs in their last at bat to pull out an 8-6 decision in the nightcap.

Allegheny (5-15, 2-4 NCAC), which is on a season-high three game-winning streak, jumped out quickly in the opener, scoring four runs in the first two innings as the Hiram (4-20, 1-7 NCAC) starter struggled to find his control. Eric Rich (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) accounted for half of the runs, plating a pair with a single through the right side.

The Terriers cut the margin in half with two unearned runs in the top of the third, before the Gators returned the favor with an unearned run in the fifth frame. Hiram continued to claw its way back in, scoring another run in the sixth inning via a throwing error on an attempted steal at third and slicing the deficit to 5-3.

Allegheny wasn’t about to let the game slip away, however, jumping back ahead by a wide margin with a big sixth inning. The Gators sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning, scoring five runs. Three came via a long double to right-center by Alex Hernberger (Eighty Four, Pa./Canon McMillan), completing a 3-for-4 day for the Allegheny catcher.

Viehdorfer capped the win with a quiet ninth, improving his season record to 2-3. The junior right-hander allowed just five hits in the game with no walks and four strikeouts.

Game two was a back-and-forth battle as each team took turns scoring. Hiram opened with the initial run thanks to a bout of wildness by starting pitcher Pete Obourn (Farmington, N.Y./Victor), while Allegheny answered with two of its own in the second, the first on a single by J.R. Hess (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) and the second coming on a bases-loaded walk to Mike Pereslucha (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski).

After posting one walk, two hit-by-pitches, and a wild pitch in the first inning, Obourn settled down and didn’t allow a hit until the fifth when the Terriers jumped ahead 4-3 with a pair of runs. The Gators came right back to tie the game as Zach Skowvron (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) tripled off the center field wall to score Rich.

Allegheny carried that momentum into its last at bat, loading the bases with one out in the sixth inning. Rich picked up the first run on a fielder’s choice, while Brian Schmidt (Utica, Pa./Franklin) came around to score on a wild pitch. Skowvron closed the scoring with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Rich and Steve Beckett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum).

Hiram tried to get back into the game with two runs off of reliever Justin Abbott (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick), but the Gator first-year got the final batter to line out to Skowvron at first base.

Obourn picked up his first win the season, improving to 1-2, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks, while striking out five. Abbott whiffed two Terriers in the final inning.

Skowvron finished the nightcap 3-for-4 with three RBI, while picking up a pair of walks in the opener. Allegheny had three players hit safely in both games as Schmidt finished the day 3-for-6, Pereslucha 3-for-5, and Rich 3-for-8. Hess tallied a pair of hits in game two and crossed home plate a team-high four times total on the day.

The Gators will aim to extend their winning streak tomorrow as they complete their weekend series against Hiram. Opening pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

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