Charles Benack
Joe Mattis
Sophomore Charles Benack's RBI single in the sixth pushed across the winning run during a 3-2 win in Friday's opener against UPJ.
2
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-B 10-12, 3-2 PSAC-W
3
Winner Gannon University GAN 17-5, 5-0 PSAC-W
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-B
10-12, 3-2 PSAC-W
2
Final
3
Gannon University GAN
17-5, 5-0 PSAC-W
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-B 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 6 1
Gannon University GAN 0 1 1 0 0 1 X 3 7 0

W: Jackson, Aaron (4-0) L: Brantley Rice (3-1)

4
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-B 10-13, 3-3 PSAC-W
6
Winner Gannon University GAN 18-5, 6-0 PSAC-W
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-B
10-13, 3-3 PSAC-W
4
Final
6
Gannon University GAN
18-5, 6-0 PSAC-W
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-B 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 4 6 1
Gannon University GAN 2 0 2 2 0 0 X 6 10 2

W: Cricks, David (3-1) L: Camden Hess (0-1) S: DiPaolo, Nico (4)

Next Game:

at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

3/26/2016 | 1:00 PM

Next Game

Full Schedule
Mar. 26 (Sat) / 1:00 PM
at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

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

Gannon Baseball Team Extends Win Streak to Seven With Sweep of UPJ; Moves to 6-0 in PSAC For First Time Ever

THE RUNDOWN
  • Game One Score: at Gannon 3, Pitt-Johnstown 2
  • Game Two Score: at Gannon 6, Pitt-Johnstown 4
  • Records: Gannon (18-5, 6-0 PSAC West), Pitt-Johnstown (10-13, 3-3 PSAC West)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. - McConnell Family Stadium
  • The Short Story: A complete-game performance by redshirt junior Aaron Jackson (Sugar Grove, Pa./Eisenhower) and second-game rally helped the Gannon baseball team sweep its third consecutive doubleheader Friday afternoon at a cold McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Knights earned the sweep by scores of 3-2 and 6-4.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME ONE
  • Gannon manufactured the opener's first run during the bottom of the second inning. Redshirt freshman Nate Cardy (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) led off with an infield single and moved to second base on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a ground-out, before scoring on sophomore Kyle Cox's (Dorchester, N.J./Millville) ground-out.
  • After Pitt-Johnstown tied the game during the top of the third inning, Gannon regained the lead with a single run during its at-bat. Redshirt senior Mark DeVita's (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) two-out RBI single plated redshirt senior Bobby Roach (Erie, Pa./McDowell) for a 2-1 lead.
  • Pitt-Johnstown battled back to tie the game for a second time in the fifth. The Mountain Cats had runners on second and third with one out after tying the contest, but Jackson wiggled out of the jam with a pop-up and strikeout.
  • Gannon scored the game-winning run in the sixth. Senior Chris Beer (Burlington, Ontario/M.M. Robinson) led off with a single to left field. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cardy and scored on sophomore Charles Benack's (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) single to right center.
  • Pitt-Johnstown had a chance to tie the game again after Nate Negri's one-out double off the right field wall during the top of the seventh inning. However, Jackson ended the threat with back-to-back pop-ups to end the game.

GAME NOTES - GAME ONE
  • Friday's doubleheader was played with temperatures in the 30's. Both teams were forced to play through light rain at times during the opener.
  • Benack was the only Golden Knight with double-digit hits, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
  • Jackson remained undefeated at 4-0 with a complete-game effort, allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked four while throwing 123 pitches.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon is ranked seventh in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region Poll.
  • The Golden Knights scored first for the 19th time in the opening 22 games.
  • Benack produced his fifth multiple-hit performance of the season.
  • Jackson recorded his second complete game while lowering his earned run average to a 3.34 mark.
  • Benack extended his hit streak to seven games. DeVita and Beer pushed their hit streaks to six contests.
  • Gannon won its sixth consecutive game.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO
  • Gannon struck early again, plating two runs during its first turn at the plate. Senior Jared Wiesen (Girard, Ohio/Liberty) led off with a triple over the centerfielder's head and scored on Beer's triple to left center. Cardy's sacrifice fly to center field pushed Beer across for a 2-0 lead.
  • Pitt-Johnstown forged ahead with three runs during the top of the third inning.
  • Gannon answered immediately with two runs during the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead at 4-3. Wiesen led off with another hit down the left field line. After moving to third on DeVita's double down the same line, Wiesen scored on Beer's sacrifice fly to center field. Cardy followed with another double down the left field line that pushed DeVita across with the go-ahead run.
  • The Golden Knights added a pair of insurance runs during the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore Matt Oruch (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) reached on an infield single and scored on junior Nick Restuccia's (Ormond Beach, Fla./Father Lopez Catholic) double to right center. Two batters later, Wiesen singled to right center to score Restuccia and give the home squad a 6-3 advantage.
  • Pitt-Johnstown cut the deficit to 6-4 with a single run in the fifth.
  • The Mountain Cats put the tying runs on base during the top of the seventh with an error and hit by pitch, but junior Nico DiPaolo (Bridgeville, Pa./Bishop Canevin) shut the door with a strikeout and pop-up.

GAME NOTES - GAME TWO
  • Friday's doubleheader was played with temperatures in the 30's.
  • Wiesen finished 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
  • Beer and Cardy recorded two RBIs each.
  • Sophomore David Cricks (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) improved to 3-1 with five innings of work, allowing three earned runs on six hits.
  • DiPaolo recorded his fourth save with two scoreless innings, striking out two in the process. He didn't allow a hit while facing eight batters.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon is ranked seventh in the latest NCBWA Atlantic Region Poll.
  • The Golden Knights swept their third consecutive doubleheader and sixth of the season. They have already tied last year's number of sweeps.
  • Gannon scored first for the 20th time in 23 games.
  • The Golden Knights extended their win streak to seven games, matching their season-high set February 21-March 3.
  • Gannon has started its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) schedule 6-0 for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2008-09 academic year.
  • The Golden Knights are off to their best 23-game start since at least the 1999 campaign. Game-by-game archives are incomplete prior to that season.
  • Gannon has won its first six conference games for the first time since at least 1999.
  • The Golden Knights have already surpassed last year's victory total despite it only being March 25. Last year's squad finished 17-27 overall.
  • Wiesen recorded his 14th multiple-hit game and fifth three-hit performance. Both figures represent team-highs.
  • Cardy generated his team-best ninth multiple-RBI effort. Beer added his sixth multiple-RBI game.
  • Benack kept his team-high hit streak alive at eight games. DeVita and Beer extended their hit streaks to seven contests.
  • Wiesen moved into second place all-time at Gannon with 173 career hits, needing 41 to break Hall of Famer Nick Leslie's (2000-04) school record.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon concludes its four-game series against Pitt-Johnstown Saturday, March 26 at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
  • The PSAC Western Division doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
  • Live gameday statistics will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/upj/baseball.
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Players Mentioned

Charles Benack

#4 Charles Benack

UTL
5' 10"
Sophomore
L/R
Nate Cardy

#35 Nate Cardy

C
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Kyle Cox

#19 Kyle Cox

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

#12 David Cricks

P
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Mark DeVita

#2 Mark DeVita

INF
5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Nico DiPaolo

#15 Nico DiPaolo

P
5' 11"
Junior
R/R
Aaron Jackson

#28 Aaron Jackson

P
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
L/R
Matt Oruch

#10 Matt Oruch

OF
6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
Nick Restuccia

#14 Nick Restuccia

INF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Bobby Roach

#11 Bobby Roach

INF
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Charles Benack

#4 Charles Benack

5' 10"
Sophomore
L/R
UTL
Nate Cardy

#35 Nate Cardy

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
C
Kyle Cox

#19 Kyle Cox

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

#12 David Cricks

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Mark DeVita

#2 Mark DeVita

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
INF
Nico DiPaolo

#15 Nico DiPaolo

5' 11"
Junior
R/R
P
Aaron Jackson

#28 Aaron Jackson

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
L/R
P
Matt Oruch

#10 Matt Oruch

6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Nick Restuccia

#14 Nick Restuccia

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
INF
Bobby Roach

#11 Bobby Roach

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
INF