The Gannon University baseball team competed in two four-game series against Seton Hill and Indiana University of Pennsylvania over the past week. During the stretch, the Knights won five of the eight games to improve their record to 18-10.
On March 30, Gannon hosted, and split, a doubleheader against Seton Hill, winning the first game, 5-0, and dropping the second in extra innings, 4-1, at McConnell Family Stadium.
In game one, Jarod Morrison threw a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. It was his third complete game of the season.
A first-inning three-run rally proved to be all Gannon needed to take care of the Griffins after Morrison’s strong performance on the mound.
In the first, Mike Colosi and Matt Oruch reached base before Elijah Quiceno roped a two-run double off the right field wall. Later in the inning Dom Mori would score Quiceno with a double.
Mike Colosi finished 3-for-4 in the game and scored a run.
Game two wasn’t much of a different story, as the score would suggest, as Gannon pitched yet another great game before the ninth inning. David Cricks pitched six innings of one-run baseball allowing just one hit while striking out nine.
Matt Yough came out of the bullpen in relief in the seventh and traded zeroes with Seton Hill before a three-run home run in the ninth put the Griffins up for good.
The next day, Gannon traveled to Greensburg to once again face Seton Hill in a doubleheader. The Knights and Griffins once again split the pair, with Gannon winning, 6-1, and falling, 5-3.
Game one saw yet another strong pitching performance as Joey Colosi pitched 5 1/3 innings, collecting six strikeouts while allowing just one earned run on four hits. Jason Beaumont struck out one and walked two in a closing effort.
The scoring action didn’t begin until the fourth inning as Quiceno tripled in Nate Cardy with one of his three hits on the day. Mori singled home a run in his next at-bat and would later score on an error, which put Gannon up 3-0.
Two early Gannon errors in the second game let things get out of hand for Judy as four unearned runs crossed the plate in the first inning.
Judy tossed six innings while allowing only three hits and five runs, one earned. He also struck out six and walked one.
Gannon had about a week off over Easter before getting right back into the action against the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Friday and Saturday.
Back-to-back doubleheaders saw the Knights take three of four at McConnell Family Stadium.
Morrison got the start once again and pitched yet another great game through five innings before the wheels fell off in the sixth.
With Gannon leading 2-0, IUP exploded for a 6-2 lead by the end of the inning and eventually claimed a 6-4 win.
In the nightcap, Gannon’s bats came alive in a convincing 15-6 victory. Kyle Cox led the way with three hits, including two home runs, and six runs batted in.
Cardy followed with two hits of his own and three RBIs. The next day Gannon hosted another doubleheader as the away team due to field conditions at IUP, and this time the Knights swept the Crimson Hawks, 6-3 and 20-9, to total 47 runs in four games. Ian Steighner’s home run in the sixth inning that capped a 3-for-3 day gave Gannon a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Indiana loaded the bases and Matt Swartz came to the plate and drove a 2-0 pitch to the left field wall where Cox denied the potential walk-off grand slam and sealed the 6-3 victory.
Yough picked up the victory in relief of Judy. In game two and the final game of the week, Gannon exploded for 20 runs — the most runs for the Knights in a game since a 20-0 victory against Slippery Rock in 2012.
An RBI triple from Jared Beach got the Knights on the board in the first inning, but an eight-run second and runs in each of the first five innings propelled them to dominating victory.
Cox went a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate, driving in three and scoring two runs of his own.
Mike Colosi and Jared Beach each scored four runs on the afternoon. Cox finished with five hits while Colosi and Cardy each had three and Mori and Gregory Nicolia contributed two apiece as Gannon erupted for 19 hits.
Gannon will be back in action Friday at home against Pitt-Johnstown. The doubleheader is slated for a 1 p.m. start time. So far on the season, Cardy leads the Knights in hitting with a .413 average. He is also tied for the team lead in RBIs at 24 with Mori. Cardy’s .588 slugging percentage also leads the team.
MATTHEW FASSNACHT
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