The Gannon University baseball team moved its overall record to 23-13 last week after defeating Malone University and splitting a four-game series against California University of Pennsylvania.
The Knights took turns sweeping doubleheaders with the Vulcans over the weekend, winning 12-3 and 5-0 Friday at McConnell Family Stadium before losing 8-5 and 9-0 Saturday at Wild Things Park in Washington, Pa.
In a nonconference matchup on April 18, Gannon posted a 9-5 victory over visiting Malone.
The Knights will return to action at 2 p.m. Thursday in a nonconference game against Lake Erie College at McConnell Family Stadium.
Gannon will take a 12-8 record in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action into Saturday’s 1 p.m. doubleheader at rival Mercyhurst. The two teams will then trek to Gannon Sunday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at McConnell Family Stadium.
Gannon put up a strong fight against Cal U in the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader in Washington before falling.
Cal U built a 4-0 lead after three innings before the Knights scored single runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings and added two in the sixth before scoring another in the seventh.
However, the Knights could not keep the Vulcans off the scoreboard as they totaled four runs in the fourth and fifth innings to keep Gannon at bay.
Dominic Mori led the Knights’ nine-hit attack with three hits and two RBIs, as he delivered run-scoring singles in the fourth and sixth innings.
Charles Benack singled home a run while Matt Oruch had an RBI double and Elijah Quiceno stroked a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Game two was uneventful for the Knights as the Vulcans pounced early, scoring once in the first and five times in the second. The assault extended into the third with three more runs to bring Cal U’s lead to 9-0.
Mike Colosi and Kyle Cox recorded Gannon’s only two hits.
Gannon fared much better the previous day at McConnell Family Stadium, outscoring the visiting Vulcans 17-3 in the two-game sweep.
Gregory Nicolia opened the scoring for Gannon in the first game, as he lined a single down the right field line to score Mori with the first run of the game in the second inning.
Nate Cardy collected the second of his four hits on the day in the third inning, as his two-run homer made it 3-0. With bases loaded in the fourth, Cardy exploited the Vulcans’ pitcher again with a triple to clear the bases.
After Cal U got on the board with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth, Gannon broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning. Ian Steighner capped the attack with a three-run homer.
Cardy finished a double short of the cycle and scored three times while driving in five. Colosi had three hits and scored three runs.
Game one propelled the Knights’ confidence moving into game two, and Cox sparked the Gannon attack with a two-run homer in the first inning. Two innings later, the Knights added a run when Cardy singled and Cox doubled him in.
Gannon scored two more runs in the fifth on Nicolia’s bases-loaded single to score Steighner and Quiceno.
The Knights maintained their 5-0 lead the rest of the way, as David Cricks stifled the Vulcans on just five hits and two walks, and he struck out seven.
Cox, Quiceno and Steighner each finished with two hits for Gannon.
Cody Callaway’s two-run second-inning double got the Knights off and running in their nonconference win over Malone.
Cardy’s two-run double keyed a five-run fifth inning that put the Knights in control. Jared Beach added his own two-run double and Benack plated a run with a single to make it 8-1, and the Pioneers never got closer than four runs the rest of the way.
Benack, Callaway, Cardy and Beach each had two hits for Gannon, which outhit Malone, 12-8.
Keefer Gregoire
[email protected]
photo courtesy of Brittiny Lene’/Knight
