Jared Wiesen
Mike Gallagher
Junior Jared Wiesen tied a career-high with four RBIs during Monday's second game against No. 14 Grand Valley State.
5
Winner Gannon GAN 4-3
2
Lewis LEWIS 1-2
Winner
Gannon GAN
4-3
5
Final
2
Lewis LEWIS
1-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Gannon GAN 0 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 5 10 2
Lewis LEWIS 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 9 2

W: Cricks, David (1-0) L: Luecht, Eric (0-1) S: Cox, Kyle (1)

13
Winner Grand Valley State GV 1-0
12
Gannon GAN 4-4
Winner
Grand Valley State GV
1-0
13
Final
12
Gannon GAN
4-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Grand Valley State GV 1 0 5 0 2 1 0 2 2 13 14 0
Gannon GAN 0 2 5 1 0 0 0 0 4 12 7 2

W: Mitch Ashcraft (1-0) L: DiPaolo, Nico (0-1) S: Matt Williams (1)

Next Game:

vs. Wheeling Jesuit University

3/4/2015 | 1:45 PM

Next Game

Full Schedule
Mar. 04 (Wed) / 1:45 PM
vs. Wheeling Jesuit University

Game Recap: Baseball | | Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Baseball Team Splits Pair of Nine-Inning Affairs at Russ-Matt Invitational

THE RUNDOWN
  • Game One Score: Gannon 5, Lewis (Ill.) 2
  • Game Two Score: No. 14 Grand Valley State 13, Gannon 12
  • Records: Gannon (4-4), Lewis (1-2), Grand Valley State (1-0)
  • Location: Auburndale, Fla. - Lake Myrtle Park
  • The Short Story: Gannon returned to its days as a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Monday by splitting a pair of nine-inning games, defeating Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) member Lewis (Ill.) 5-2, before a ninth-inning comeback fell shy against No. 14 Grand Valley State out of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME ONE
  • Gannon jumped out to a 5-0 lead after six innings of an originally-scheduled nine-inning game.
  • The Golden Knights struck first with a pair of runs during the top of the third inning. Freshman Gregory Nicolia (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Jared Wiesen (Girard, Ohio/Liberty) and scored on a double to left field by freshman Charles Benack (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson). Two batters later, junior Aaron Cox's (Dorchester, N.J./Millville) two-out single plated Benack.
  • Gannon added an unearned run during the top of fifth inning. Wiesen reached as a lead-off hitter with the aid of an error. He then moved around the bases with a sacrifice bunt, balk and sacrifice fly by redshirt senior Jeff Bellanca (Grand Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute).
  • The Gannon led stretched to 5-0 with two insurance runs in the sixth inning. Senior Eric Lewandowski (Souderton, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) and redshirt junior Mark DeVita (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) led off with an infield single and bunt single. Both then scored on an error after senior Sean Sutton (Toronto, Ontario/Brebeuf College) tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt.
  • Lewis finally dented the scoreboard with a pair of runs during the bottom of the seventh inning, but that was all the Flyers could muster before falling 5-2.

GAME NOTES - GAME ONE
  • Freshman David Cricks (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) tossed six scoreless innings and picked up the victory during his first career start. He scattered five hits while striking out two and walking four.
  • Freshman Kyle Cox (Dorchester, N.J./Millville) earned his first career save, pitching two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
  • Cox, Lewandowski and Nicolia recorded two hits each.
  • Five different Golden Knights scored.
  • Seven of Gannon's starting nine recorded a hit.
  • The Gannon pitching staff stranded 14 Flyers on base.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon pounded out 10 hits, reaching double digits in hits for the second time in the first seven games. The squad produced a season-high 12 hits during a 10-5 victory at Limestone (S.C.) on February 8.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO
  • Gannon and Grand Valley State engaged in an old-fashion GLIAC slugfest, scoring 25 combined runs.
  • Grand Valley State led 6-2, before Gannon ripped off five runs during the bottom of the third inning to grab a 7-6 advantage.
  • After the Golden Knights scored three runs on seven walks, Wiesen pushed the team ahead with a two-out, two-run single to left for the only hit of the inning.
  • Gannon assumed its biggest lead of the evening at 8-6 with a run during the bottom of the fourth inning. Sutton's infield single drove home Bellanca with the eighth tally.
  • Grand Valley State began to chip away at that point. The Lakers tied the game with two runs in the fifth. The squad then produced a 13-8 lead with a single run in the sixth, two in the eighth and two in the ninth.
  • Gannon followed with a huge rally during its last at-bat. The Golden Knights loaded the bases with no outs after a Sutton single up the middle, a DeVita walk and a single through the left side by freshman Matt Oruch (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon).
  • Nicolia started the scoring with a bases-loaded walk, before a wild pitch scored the second run. Wiesen then came through again, driving a pitch back up the middle to plate two and cut the deficit to 13-12.
  • With still no outs, Wiesen moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and ground-out. But Grand Valley State reliever Matt Williams was able to strike out the final hitter to secure the high-scoring victory.

GAME NOTES - GAME TWO
  • Grand Valley State is ranked No. 14 in NCAA Division II.
  • Wiesen finished 2-for-6 with four RBIs, tying his career-high of four RBIs set April 18, 2014 during an 8-5 victory at Indiana (Pa.).
  • Nicolia also drove home four runs, more than doubling the three RBIs during his first six career games.
  • Sutton finished 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs, doubling his run total from the first seven games and tying his career-high set March 14, 2014 during an 8-6 victory against Walsh.
  • Oruch also went 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
  • Gannon finished with four more RBIs than hits.
  • Seven of Gannon's nine starters scored a run.
  • Both teams left 10 runners on base.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • The 25 combined runs were the most in a game involving Gannon since the Golden Knights dropped a 15-12 decision March 3, 2014 against Ashland at the Russ-Matt Invitational.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon has an off day tomorrow, before continuing its week-long stay at the Russ-Matt Invitational Wednesday, March 4 with a doubleheader against Wheeling Jesuit. The twinbill is scheduled for 11:45 a.m.
  • The Golden Knights and Cardinals will face off for the first time since splitting a doubleheader in Florida on February 26, 2007.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Jeff Bellanca

#8 Jeff Bellanca

C
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Aaron Cox

#19 Aaron Cox

P/INF
6' 4"
Junior
R/R
Mark DeVita

#2 Mark DeVita

INF
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Eric Lewandowski

#26 Eric Lewandowski

OF
6' 2"
Senior
R/R
Sean Sutton

#7 Sean Sutton

OF
6' 1"
Senior
L/L
Jared Wiesen

#20 Jared Wiesen

INF
5' 11"
Junior
R/R
Charles Benack

#4 Charles Benack

INF
5' 10"
Freshman
L/R
Kyle Cox

#18 Kyle Cox

P/OF
6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
David Cricks

#12 David Cricks

P
5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
Gregory Nicolia

#17 Gregory Nicolia

INF
6' 0"
Freshman
L/R

Players Mentioned

Jeff Bellanca

#8 Jeff Bellanca

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
C
Aaron Cox

#19 Aaron Cox

6' 4"
Junior
R/R
P/INF
Mark DeVita

#2 Mark DeVita

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
INF
Eric Lewandowski

#26 Eric Lewandowski

6' 2"
Senior
R/R
OF
Sean Sutton

#7 Sean Sutton

6' 1"
Senior
L/L
OF
Jared Wiesen

#20 Jared Wiesen

5' 11"
Junior
R/R
INF
Charles Benack

#4 Charles Benack

5' 10"
Freshman
L/R
INF
Kyle Cox

#18 Kyle Cox

6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
P/OF
David Cricks

#12 David Cricks

5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
P
Gregory Nicolia

#17 Gregory Nicolia

6' 0"
Freshman
L/R
INF