ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon baseball team had yet to sweep a doubleheader this season. It picked a perfect time to finally get the brooms out.
Brian Fisher's (Coal Center, Pa./California Area) complete-game victory during a spot start and
Zack Ranta's (Hamilton, Ontario/Orchard Park Secondary) two-out, two-run walk-off single helped the Golden Knights sweep two games against No. 22 Seton Hill Wednesday afternoon at Gannon University Field. The victories came by scores of 6-3 and 3-2.
Gannon defied the odds during the nightcap. With an 0-19 record when heading to their last at-bat with a deficit, the Golden Knights faced that situation Wednesday trailing 2-1. To further complicate matters, Seton Hill called upon closer Jesse Cooper who came out of the bullpen with 14 saves and zero runs allowed in 16 appearances this season.
Cooper got the first two outs with a diving catch by the leftfielder and a ground-out to the second baseman.
Jeff Bellanca (Grand Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) then started the rally with what seemed like a harmless hit by pitch at the time. It was Cooper's first hit by pitch of the season.
Taylor Anderson (Niagara Falls, Ontario/A.N. Myer Secondary) followed with a hit into the hole between shortstop and third. Things got real interesting when Cooper uncorked his first wild pitch of the year to push both runners into scoring position. Ranta took advantage of the mistake, driving a 3-2 pitch up the middle to plate both runs for a 3-2 walk-off victory.
Dustin Godden (Brampton, Ontario/Mayfield Secondary) and Seton Hill's Tyler Morder were locked in a pitchers' duel until the late-inning theatrics. The duo kept the contest scoreless through four innings. Seton Hill finally broke the seal with a manufactured run during the top of the fifth inning. Nick Sell led off with a double down the right field line. After stealing third base, he scored the game's first run on Matt Malacane's single through a drawn-in infield.
Gannon produced its first rally during the bottom of the sixth inning against 2013 Colorado Rockies draftee Alex Haines.
Sean Sutton (Toronto, Ontario/Brebeuf College) started this rally with a two-out walk on four pitches, before stealing second base.
Mark DeVita (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) followed with a two-out, game-tying RBI single to left center off an 0-2 pitch.
Seton Hill regained the lead with an unearned run during the top of the seventh inning. The Griffins loaded the bases on a bunt single, an error on a sacrifice bunt and a walk. Garret Vrbanic pushed the go-ahead run across the plate when his check swing on a 3-2 pitch was ruled ball four.
Jared Wiesen (Girard, Ohio/Liberty) went 2-for-4 in the lead-off spot. Six other Golden Knights recorded one hit each. Godden earned his first career victory, allowing one earned run on five hits. The junior right-hander struck out three and walked three during his second complete game of the season.
The opener was a little less dramatic. After Seton Hill scored once during the top of the first inning, Gannon took advantage of sloppy defense with four unearned runs during its half of the inning. Nine Golden Knights came to the plate during the frame. Wiesen scored the first run on a throwing error. The second run scored on Sutton's fielder's choice, before the third run crossed the plate when Seton Hill's throw to complete a double play sailed wide of first base.
Bob Roach (Erie, Pa./McDowell) capped the outburst with a two-out RBI single.
Seton Hill slowly chipped away, pulling within 4-3 after scoring single runs during the second and fifth innings. Gannon kept the Griffins at bay with two insurance runs during the bottom of the sixth inning. Both runs came with two outs. Bellanca provided the initial breathing room with an RBI double to right center. Two batters later, Ranta drove home Bellanca with an RBI single to left center.
Making his second career start, Fisher finished off Seton Hill in the seventh. The Griffins put a runner on with a walk, but Fisher got Cooper to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game. The true freshman improved to 2-0 with two complete games in two career starts. He allowed three runs on six hits, striking out two and walking four.
Ranta was perfect in four plate appearances, recording three hits and walking once. The junior scored once and drove home one run. Seven of Gannon's top eight batters produced a hit.
Gannon improved to 13-23 overall and 8-12 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with its first doubleheader sweep since taking two games from rival Mercyhurst on April 26, 2013. Seton Hill, ranked No. 22 in NCAA Division II, dropped to 29-12 overall and 16-4 in divisional play. The Griffins were swept in a twinbill for the first time since losing twice to Florida Institute of Technology on March 2, 2013.
Head coach
Nate Cocolin's club returns to action Friday, April 18 at Indiana (Pa.). The PSAC West doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
