Gator Offense Erupts against Pitt-Bradford

Apr 19, 2007

Box Score

BRADFORD, Pa. – The Allegheny College Gator offense kept their current offensive streak alive, scoring a season-high 18 runs on 20 hits, running away from the Pitt-Bradford Panthers 18-12 on Thursday afternoon.

Eric Rich (McMurry, Pa./Peters Township), left, tied an Allegheny (8-15) record by recording seven plate appearances, with Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) going 4-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored.

The Gator bats started strong, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning on a total of two hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch. Steve Beckett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) walked, and was moved to second after Zach Skowvron (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) was hit by a pitch. Pete Obourn (Farmington, N.Y./Victor) followed with a single, scoring Beckett, before James Fago (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) was walked to load the bases. Mike Perslucha (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski) followed with another walk, forcing in Skowvron, before Fernandez emptied the bases with a three-run double, giving the Gators a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

After surrendering four unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Blue and Gold responded with another run when Beckett doubled in Rich, taking their lead to 6-4. Two more runs in the bottom of the third, scoring on an RBI singles from Beckett and Rich, taking an 8-4 advantage.

The Blue and Gold added another two runs in the top of the fourth inning, both with two outs in the inning, with Greg Martin (Staten Island, N.Y./Poly Prep) driving in Fernandez and Pereslucha. Two runs on no hits in the fourth inning for Pitt-Bradford (17-9) cut the deficit to 8-6, before Allegheny added six more runs in the top of the fifth inning.

The scoring started when Fago hit a looping double down the right field line, scoring Skowvron, as Pereslucha singled in Obourn. Fago scored on the same play, as Pereslucha intentionally put himself into a rundown. Fernandez singled in Pereslucha at the next at-bat, before Brian Schmidt (Utica, Pa./Franklin) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded bringing in Fernandez. A groundout by Rich scored Martin, ending the scoring in the inning with Allegheny holding a 16-6 lead through five frames.

After being held scoreless in an inning for the first time in the game, Bradford added a run in the bottom of the sixth. Two more runs by the Gators in the top of the seventh inning, on RBI’s from Schmidt and Rich, giving the Gators 18 runs in the contest.

Six players had multiple-hit games, with Rich going 3-for-7 and Martin, left, 3-for-6. Beckett (2-for-3), Fago (2-for-5) and Pereslucha (2-for-5) also had two hits in the game. Rich and Fernandez each drove in four runs, as Pereslucha and Fago each scored three times.

Aaron Skalko (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane), right, picked up the win, pitching the first three innings of the game, striking out three and allowing no earned runs. Scott Rea (Cleveland, Ohio/Rocky River) gave up three earned runs without allowing a hit, walking five batters, with Brandon Majkowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) and Matt Dishong (Venetia, Pa./Ringgold) pitching the final three innings of the game.

After taking a day off, the Gators travel to Oberlin, Ohio, where the team will face off against the Yeomen of Oberlin College in a conference two-day quadruple-header, with the second seed in the North Coast Athletic Conference playoffs at stake.

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