Gators Sweep Oberlin in Home Opener

Apr 19, 2008

GAME ONE BOX | GAME TWO BOX

MEADVILLE, Pa. - It was a long wait, but the Allegheny baseball team (12-14, 5-7 NCAC) finally had the opportunity to play on their own field on Saturday. The Gators made it worth the wait by sweeping Oberlin (8-19, 3-7 NCAC) by scores of 6-1 and 3-1 behind a pair of complete-game efforts from freshman David Strawser (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) and junior Aaron Skalko (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane).

For much of game one, the Gators and Yeomen were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Strawser, pictured right, used three double plays and timely strikeouts to hold Oberlin to just one run over seven innings.

Allegheny scored once in the bottom of the first when Zach Skowvron (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) drove in J.R. Hess (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) with a two-out single.

Oberlin tied the game with three consecutive singles in the fourth inning before the Gators scored once in the fifth and four times in the sixth as Andy Schleihauf (Connellsville, Ohio/Connellsville) singled in one.

Strawser (2-1) struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed only three hits in picking up his second win of the year. Oberlin’s Jack Dunn (4-4) allowed two earned runs over 5.2 innings and struck out five in the loss.

Game two wasn’t much different as Skalko, pictured left, allowed only one Oberlin run in the fifth inning after a Brandon Cantrill lead-off double.

It took a while for the Gator bats to get rolling, but they came around with three runs in the sixth. Brian Schmidt (Utica, Pa./Franklin) started things with a lead-off single before being sacrificed to second and scoring on a Matt Young (State College, Pa./State College) double to the left field corner. Skowvron then quickly untied the game with a first-pitch, two-run homer to left.

Skalko (3-2) allowed six hits and only one walk while striking out three. Ben Kauder fell to 0-4 on the year for Oberlin after allowing six hits in six innings of work.

The two sides are right back at it tomorrow with games three and four from Robertson Field. First pitch is set for noon (EST).

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