BROADDUS, W.Va. - The Gannon baseball team erupted for nine runs in the nightcap to split a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Alderson-Broaddus. The Golden Knights fell 5-4 in the opener, but came back for a 9-2 victory in the second game.

Gannon jumped out to a comfortable 9-0 lead in the nightcap, before allowing Alderson-Broaddus to tack on its only two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Golden Knights started the scoring in the third inning when Ryan Turner (Pickering, Ontario/Dunbarton) scored on a pass ball and Tim Lipp (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) crossed the plate on Jordan Bergado's (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) sacrifice fly.

Head coach Nate Cocolin's squad doubled its lead with two more runs in the fifth. Michael Tomko (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) drove in Kyle Harpster (Erie, Pa./McDowell) with a sacrifice fly and Bergado singled home Kolten Hoffman (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex).

The flood gates opened in the sixth with two more sacrifice flies and another Bergado RBI single. The Golden Knights added two more runs in the seventh on RBI singles by Turner and Lipp.

Tyler Sell (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) improved to 2-0 and lowered his earned run average to 0.59 with five innings of shutout ball. The sophomore struck out two and walked two. Jeff Jones (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) tossed a scoreless sixth inning, before Landon Wahl (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area) completed the game by striking out two hitters in the seventh.

Lipp and Turner combined to go 6-for-8 with five runs and two RBI. Lipp finished 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Turner was 3-for-4 with three runs and one RBI. Bergado added two hits and three RBI in three at-bats.

In the opener, Alderson-Broaddus opened a 5-1 lead and needed to hold on for a one-run victory. The Battlers scored three times in the first inning, before adding single runs in the second and fourth.

Gannon scored its first run in the top of the second inning on Jones' RBI ground-out. The Golden Knights then rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh frame. Hoffman drove home the first two runs with a one-out double. He then scored when Tomko reached on an error by the centerfielder. The Golden Knights proceeded to put runners on first and second later in the inning, but Alderson-Broaddus' closer produced a game-ending fly-out.

David Spaeder (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) suffered the complete-game loss, dropping to 1-1. The redshirt freshman allowed five runs, but only two were earned. He surrendered six hits, walked two and struck out two. Five different Golden Knights produced safeties in the five-hit attack.

Gannon moved to 9-13 with Tuesday's split. Alderson-Broaddus is now 5-15. The Golden Knights return to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action Friday, April 1 at Lock Haven. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

For a complete box score from the first game of Tuesday's Gannon/Alderson-Broaddus baseball doubleheader, please click here.

For a complete box score from the second game of Tuesday's Gannon/Alderson-Broaddus baseball doubleheader, please click here.