MEADVILLE, Pa. – Behind a complete game two-hitter by freshman
Wyatt Sibiga, the Gators earned an 8-2 victory over visiting Penn State-Behrend in a Friday matinee at the Robertson Athletic Complex.
Sibiga earned his first career victory, retiring the side in order in six different innings, while a productive Gator offense racked 12 hits and scored five runs with two outs.
With the victory, Allegheny's record improves to 8-9 (2-2 NCAC), while Behrend drops to 14-7 (3-1 AMCC).
After Sibiga needed just nine pitches to retire the Lions in order in the top of the first, the Gators quickly went to work to provide their hurler with early run support. With one out,
Ethan Pawlak picked up his first poke of the day with a single to right, before
Robert DiMaggio followed by flaring a double to left to put runners at second and third.
Joe Killian then put together a solid at bat, with his grounder to the right side plating Pawlak to make it 1-0.
Behind a double by David Boehme and an RBI grounder from Brandon Bergstrom, the Lions promptly tied the game in the top of the second, but the Gators charged back to score seven runs over the next three innings.
Cullen Flaherty started a one-out rally in the bottom of the third by drawing a four-pitch walk, and advanced 180 feet after Pawlak stroked a double to right. DiMaggio then followed by stroking his second hit of the day, a single to left that scored both Flaherty and Pawlak to make it 3-1. The junior then crossed the plate on an Killian single to give the Gators a three-run cushion.
The hosts added on to the lead an inning later.
Patrick Orr battled through a nine-pitch at-bat to lead off with a single, before moving to second on
Austin Bristol's sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Flaherty dropped a single into left to plate Orr, and Pawlak followed by sending a 2-0 pitch well over the right field wall for his first career homer, upping the lead to 7-1.
The Gators added another two-out run in the bottom of the fifth. Killian walked to lead off the frame, and after two quick outs, Orr tallied his second hit of the day with a single to left. Bristol followed suit with another one-base hit to left, bringing home Killian from second to give Allegheny a seven-run lead.
It was more than enough offense for Sibiga, who easily put together the best start of his young career. The lanky righty retired 10 straight between the second and fifth innings, before running into his only hiccup of the day in the top of the sixth. The Lions loaded the bases to open the frame, but Sibiga limited the damage, allowing just one run before closing the inning with a pair of groundouts.
Sibiga quickly bounced back, allowing just one base runner the rest of the way, and set down the final eight batters in order to close out the complete game gem.
The rookie surrendered just two hits and two walks over his nine innings of work while striking out three. He threw just 104 pitches to earn the Gator pitching staff's first nine-inning complete game victory since
Robert Julian's complete-game three-hitter in the Gators' 3-0 NCAC Crossover Series win over Denison on May 3 of last season.
Offensively, six different Gators found the hit column, led by a 3-for-4 showing by both DiMaggio and Pawlak, and a two-hit day by Orr. Killian, Pawlak, and DiMaggio each tallied two RBIs.
Alex Hajduk started and took the loss for the Lions, working 3.2 innings and allowing five runs on six hits, with two walks and one strikeout. He was the first of four Behrend hurlers used on the day.
The Gators will return to action on Sunday, Apr. 10, with a split doubleheader in Delaware, Ohio. Allegheny opens the day by facing Case Western Reserve at 1 p.m., before taking on host Ohio Wesleyan at 4 p.m.
