Fighting Scots, Gators Split Pair of Pitcher’s Duels

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster and Allegheny College split a pair of pitcher's duels, first the Fighting Scots holding off a late rally for a 2-1 game-one victory and then the Gators doing the same for a 4-3 win in Sunday's nightcap, as the North Coast Athletic Conference East Division foes remain tied after completing the first two of their four-game series at Art Murray Field.

They'll be right back on the field on Monday to determine second-place in the NCAC East, and with it, a spot in the conference's four-team postseason tournament later this week. Currently, both sport 10-4 league records, and if neither sweeps the final two games, a coin toss will determine which squad advances.

Wooster (22-14, 10-4 NCAC East) hung on for the one-run decision in the opener. Starting pitcher Josh Stidham saw little trouble through the first six innings and was ahead 2-0 when Zach Gray of Allegheny (17-19, 10-4 NCAC) legged out a triple to start the final frame. He went the last 90 feet via an RBI groundout, and then with just the one out, Jeff Dassner found a hole on the right side for a single.

With the top of the order coming up, the Scots elected to go to the bullpen and it took just seven pitches for Steve Hagen to seal the win. Hagen struck out the leadoff hitter, and then the game ended in unique fashion, with a pickoff play at first base for the final out.

It marked Hagen's fourth save, while Stidham improved to 5-2. The latter scattered just four singles through the first six innings and struck out four.

Wooster's game-one offense consisted of single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings. A two-out rally in the fourth saw Cal Thomay and Zack Vesco single back-to-back, followed by Craig Day rolling one through the left side that allowed Thomay to come home from second.

Jarrod Mancine drilled a triple into center with one out in the fifth, but didn't score what turned out to be a pivotal insurance run until a clutch two-out base knock by Eddie Reese.

The pivotal play of game two came in the top of the seventh when the Gators' Eric Hansen lined a bases-loaded, two-out triple into left-center, breaking a 1-1 tie.

The Scots nearly came back from the 4-1 deficit during the bottom of the ninth. A leadoff error gave Wooster hope and then Day drove a ball to deep left, glancing off the tip of the outfielder's glove en route to a double, which finally knocked Allegheny starter Kyle Davis out of the game after 146 pitches.

Pinch hitter Frank Vance drew a walk from closer Pat Vojtek to load the bases and Mancine delivered the first run on a sacrifice fly. After the second out was recorded, Reese came through again with an RBI single up the middle and Johnathan Ray walked to load the bases again only to see Vojtek induce a pop-up to shallow center for the final out.

Davis picked up the win (3-6), Vojtek the save (4), and Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads was a bit of a tough-luck loser (4-3) as he threw a quality start with three earned runs allowed in 6.1 innings.

Offensively, Day went 3-for-6 with two doubles and Reese was the only other Scot to record a hit in both contests, while Hansen and Dassner were the lone Gators with hits in each game.

Monday's doubleheader is scheduled for a noon start.