ERIE, Pa. –
Terry Carson's (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) pinch-hit, walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning completed the Gannon baseball team's non-conference doubleheader sweep against Alderson-Broaddus Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Knights earned a 5-3 victory during the opener, before rallying for a 5-4 win in the nightcap at a chilly Gannon University Field.
Tuesday's sweep extended Gannon's win streak to seven games, representing the program's longest win streak since the Golden Knights won eight consecutive games April 6-14, 2002. In the process, Gannon improved to 16-10 overall. It marks the first time the club has been six games over .500 since March 22, 2004 when the Golden Knights were 12-6.
Gannon needed another rally to extend the win streak, scoring the game's winning runs during its last at-bat for the fifth time this season. Two of those have come via the walk-off variety, including two in the last four days. During Tuesday's second game, Alderson-Broaddus forged a 4-4 tie by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh with two outs. Mitch Roy's two-run single through the right side tied the contest.
But the Golden Knights immediately got back off the deck as Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Player of the Week
Tim Lipp (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) led off the bottom of the seventh with a line-drive single to right field. The senior shortstop then moved to second when a failed pick-off throw was off target. He moved to third on
Michael Tomko's (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) sacrifice fly to center, before scoring the game-winning run on Carson's pinch-hit single that was almost caught by Alderson-Broaddus' leftfielder on a dive.
Gannon seemed to have control of the game until the last inning. The Golden Knights manufactured their first run during the fourth inning.
Evan Baglieri (Niagara Falls, Ontario/St. Michael's) reached on catcher's interference. After stealing second base, he proceeded to catch the Alderson-Broaddus infield napping and moved to third on the same play.
One out later,
Taylor Anderson's (Niagara Falls, Ontario/A.N. Meyer Secondary) single drove home Baglieri with the game's first run. Anderson followed with the second run after singles by
Lou Downey (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and
Kyle Harpster (Erie, Pa./McDowell).
Alderson-Broaddus cut the deficit in half with a single run during the top of the fifth inning, but Gannon wasted little time extending its lead to 4-1 on Tomko's two-run blast to dead center.
Harpster and Lipp had two hits each during Gannon's 11-hit attack. Harpster went 2-for-3 with one RBI while Lipp finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Mark Carlozzi (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary) was superb during his fourth start of the season, allowing only one run and one hit in six innings. Unfortunately, the senior did not receive a decision after Alderson-Broaddus' seventh-inning rally.
Landon Wahl (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area) picked up the victory, improving to 3-2 after one inning of relief work.
Tuesday's opener had less dramatics as Gannon led from the second inning until the end. Alderson-Broaddus picked up an unearned run during the top of the first inning, before the Golden Knights rattled off five consecutive runs.
The first two came during a two-out rally in the second inning. The Golden Knights strung together three straight two-out singles, including back-to-back RBI hits by
Michael Brosius (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) and
Dylan Schwegler (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell Area).
Tomko scored the third run on Carson's RBI ground-out in the third. Gannon increased its advantage to 5-1 on Lipp's RBI double and Tomko's RBI triple in the sixth.
As it did in the second game, Alderson-Broaddus tried to rally during its final at-bat. The first two batters reached base, before head coach
Nate Cocolin called upon Wahl. The senior closer allowed the two runners to score, but eventually shut the door for his fourth save of the season.
Schwegler was perfect in three at-bats during the first game, scoring once and driving in one run. Tomko went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Brosius finished 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Tyler Sell (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) earned his first victory of the season, allowing two earned runs on five hits in six innings.
Gannon improved to 16-10 overall with its seventh consecutive victory. Alderson-Broaddus dropped to 6-17. The Golden Knights return to action Friday, March 30 at Lock Haven. The PSAC doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
