Gators Drop NCAC Tournament Opener

May 5, 2007

Box Score

GROVE CITY, Ohio - The Allegheny College Gators fell in their 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference tournament debut, being played at Grove City (Ohio) High School after a day of rainfall made the Ohio Wesleyan field unplayable, falling 10-5.

Allegheny reached the scoreboard first in the contest when leadoff hitter Brian Schmidt (Utica, Pa./Franklin) singled, and was moved to second after a Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) groundout to the shortstop. After a lineout to center field, James Fago (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) singled bringing in Schmidt for a 1-0 lead.

Ohio Wesleyan followed by scoring four runs in the bottom of the frame, three of the runs with two outs, pushing the host’s lead to 4-1. After back-to-back scoreless innings, the Gators rallied to knot the game at four apiece with a three-run fourth inning.

J.R. Hess (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) singled with the bases loaded, bringing in Eric Rich (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) who reached on an error by the third baseman. After a strikeout, Mike Pereslucha (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski) hit a sacrifice fly to driving in Fago. Pete Obourn (Farmington, N.Y./Victor) then singled in Alex Herrnberger (Eighty Four, Pa./Canon McMillan) knotting the game at four runs apiece.

After two scoreless half-innings, OWU’s Kyle Sherman led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a home run before the Bishops added another run, one that eventually amounted to the game winner.

The Gators fought back, adding a run in the top of the sixth when Obourn singled with the bases loaded, scoring Herrnberger, and cutting the deficit to one.

Ohio Wesleyan added three two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to push their advantage to four, before the hosts added the game’s final run in the seventh inning.

Fago and Obourn each went 2-for-4 in the game, with Obourn leading the team with two runs batted in. Herrnberger scored twice, with the other three runs coming from three different batters. Colt Viehdorfer (Morrisdale, Pa./West Branch) picked up the loss, pitching the first seven innings of the game giving up 15 hits and 10 earned run, striking out one and walking two. Aaron Skalko (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) pitched the final inning, giving up just one hit and walking one.

Two batters Joey McDaniel and Sean Ring each went 4-for-5 at the plate for the victors, Donnie Paul drove in four runs while three players, Logan Hronis, Sherman and Ring, each scored two runs. Xander Jones picked up the win, going seven innings, giving up five runs, three of which were earned while striking out nine. Sean Speed finished off the game for the hosts, pitching the final two innings, striking out four and not allowing a baserunner.

The Gators will play again on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. and with a win the Gators can force a third game following the second.

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