ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon and Pitt-Johnstown baseball teams wrapped up their four-game series on Monday after Saturday's doubleheader at McConnell Family Stadium was postponed. The Mountain Cats would end up winning three of the four games with a sweep of Monday's twinbill. UPJ won the first game 8-2 and the nightcap by a 10-4 score.
Gannon drops to 3-18 overall and 1-7 in the PSAC West while UPJ evened its record at 13-13 overall and is 4-4 in league play. The Golden Knights will play California (Pa.) for four games this coming weekend. The first two games are at California, Pa. on Friday, April 5, with the Vulcans visiting Gannon on Sunday, April 7.
One of the positives to come out of the day was a stolen base by
Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) in the second game. It the 68th of Vega's career, tying the school record held by Clint Page.
Game 1 – Pitt-Johnstown 8, Gannon 2
The Mountain Cats took advantage of a pair of leadoff walks in the third and fourth innings to open the scoring. UPJ scored a single run in the third on a sacrifice fly and added two more unearned runs in the fourth inning. Gannon cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
Jared Bielanin (Erie, Pa./McDowell) led off the inning with a double to right center and moved to third on a groundout. He would score on a wild pitch but the Golden Knights would leave the tying runs on second and third following a pair of hit batters. UPJ would score two runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh. The Golden Knights pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by
Reece Colvin (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) with two outs. The sophomore outfielder drove in freshman catcher
Drew Stangelo (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover), who had walked.
Jaret Boyer (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington) started and threw well before departing with two outs in the sixth. He allowed six hits and five walk while striking out six.
Game 2 – Pitt-Johnstown 10, Gannon 4
The second game of the doubleheader began with both teams going back-and-forth. UPJ scored a run in the top of the first but freshman
Jake Boynar (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville), making his first career start, escaped further damage with a strikeout with the bases loaded. Gannon answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.
Reece Colvin (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and
Brendan Koroly (Mars, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) opened with singles and Colvin eventually scored on a RBI fielder's choice by
Kieran Gagnon (Mono, Ontario/Westside). UPJ plated three runs in the top of the third but Gannon scored twice in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3.
Jared Bielanin's (Erie, Pa./McDowell) single to right field drove in then first tun and
Dom Costello's (North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted) groundout accounted for the second. A thin pitching staff was unable to hold UPJ at bay with the Mountain Cats scoring two runs in the fourth and four more times in the fifth. Gannon added its final run in the bottom of the sixth. Costello doubled down the left field line and would score on a groundout by Colvin. Just before that
Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) tied the school record for career stolen bases with a steal of second. Bemis ended with two hits in three at bats as Gannon totaled seven hits.
