JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - Gannon managed only two runs in 14 innings Saturday evening as Pitt-Johnstown swept the Golden Knights in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division baseball doubleheader at Point Stadium. The defeats by scores of 6-2 and 9-0 officially eliminated Gannon from the postseason race with one day left in the regular season.
With its postseason hopes still alive, Gannon fell behind 4-0 after two innings during the opener. Pitt-Johnstown struck for three runs during its first at-bat, including two that were unearned. A second-inning home run gave the home team a four-run lead.
Gannon cut the deficit in half with single runs during the third and fifth innings.
Bob Roach (Erie, Pa./McDowell) scored the Golden Knights' first run. The sophomore led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on
Scotty Cloudy's (Valley City, Ohio/Buckeye) single up the middle.
Tommy Roache (Ormond Beach, Fla./Father Lopez Catholic) began the fifth-inning rally with a lead-off single, before moving to second base when Cloudy was hit by a pitch. One batter later,
Sean Sutton's (Toronto, Ontario/Brebeuf College) single to right field drove Roache across the plate. The Golden Knights later loaded the bases, but an inning-ending double play ended the threat.
If the double play wasn't a blow, Pitt-Johnstown's two insurance runs during the bottom of the frame were. The Golden Knights went three-and-out during the sixth inning and couldn't capitalize on two base runners during a scoreless seventh.
Eight different Golden Knights recorded a hit during the first game.
Jared Wiesen (Girard, Ohio/Liberty) finished 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch twice.
Aaron Cox (Dorchester, N.J./Millville) dropped to 6-6 on the mound despite recording his 10th complete game. The sophomore right-hander allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits, striking out four and walking one.
In the nightcap, Pitt-Johnstown scored during five of its six at-bats en route to an easy 9-0 shutout. The Mountain Cats scored once in the first inning, twice in the third, single runs in the fourth and fifth, and four in the sixth. Mountain Cat pitcher John Fees limited the Golden Knights to three hits.
Gannon dropped to 15-27 overall and 10-16 in the PSAC Western Division. Pitt-Johnstown improved to 20-22 overall and 15-11 in divisional play. The regular season concludes Sunday, April 27 with another doubleheader at Gannon University Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
