Bison swept by Keuka in NEAC doubleheader at home

Recap, photo courtesy of Gallaudet University

WASHINGTON – Needing wins to remain alive in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) postseason picture, Gallaudet University fell short here Sunday as it lost both games of a conference doubleheader against Keuka College at Hoy Field.

Keuka (14-13, 5-5 NEAC) bats accounted for 12 runs in the first game en route to a 12-2 win in nine innings. The second game was very close at the end as Gallaudet (9-27, 4-8 NEAC) mounted a late rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. GU trailed 5-0 heading into the seventh and stormed back to score four runs and had the tying run on base before the last batter popped up to end the game, 5-4.

Game 1: Keuka 12, Gallaudet 2
Keuka strung together four runs on three hits, an error and a wild pitch in the third inning as the
Wolfpack led 4-0. The Bison would answer back in the bottom half of the inning when senior Brad Stockdill (New Castle, Pa.) doubled and eventually scored on a single by freshman Cameron Upton (Vicksburg, Miss.), coupled with a throwing error by the Wolfpack.

Upton would drive in sophomore Kyle Gumm (Dallas, Texas) with a single in the bottom of the fifth inning, but it was not enough to keep up with the Wolfpack's bats which scored two more runs in the top of the sixth, four in the eighth and one more in the ninth to round out their offensive attack.

Upton and Gumm led the Bison with three hits while junior third baseman Zack Crawford (Newnan, Ga.) was the only other Bison to record a multi-hit game. Junior starting pitcher Ian Evans (Murphy, N.C.) took the loss as he pitched eight innings, surrendering 11 runs (four earned) on 10 hits, three walks and also struck out two batters. Junior Kenneth Gentzke III (Scottsville, N.Y.) pitched the final inning in relief.

Keuka senior starting pitcher James Matthews (2-0) pitched a complete game, spreading out 10 hits and only allowed two runs (one earned), walking two and struck out five batters.

 

Game 2: Keuka 5, Gallaudet 4
The rally in the seventh inning started when Stockdill walked on four straight pitches. He would advance to second on a single by Gumm. Junior Blake Phillips (Dalton, Ga.) tripled deep to center field as Stockdill and Gumm raced home. After a Keuka pitching change, Phillips would score on a wild pitch. Upton walked and scored on a double by junior first baseman Justin Strong (Charlotte, N.C.) to center field. Gentzke came in to pinch-run for Strong and was unfortunately caught in a run-down between third base and home plate while trying to advance on a single by senior outfielder Chase Magsig (Hudsonville, Mich.). Freshman Ryan Gilbert (Mount Dora, Fla.) fouled out to end the rally and the game.

Keuka took the lead early in the game with a four-run second inning as four Wolfpack reached base via a hit and Gallaudet committed two errors. The Wolfpack would add on another run in the top of the sixth inning on a passed ball that would prove to be critical.

Bison starting pitcher Ben Coleman (St. Paris, Ohio) went the distance in the loss, pitching seven innings and gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits, two walks and struck out one batter.

Wolfpack sophomore pitcher Ryan Lawrence (2-1) picked up the win in 6.1 innings of work while senior Thomas Fowler picked up the final two outs to secure his third save of the season and complete the sweep.


BISON TRACKS

• Gumm led all Bison batters with five hits in the doubleheader
• Four Bison batters had two hits in the second game

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will wrap up its NEAC regular-season schedule with a doubleheader against the first-place team, Penn State-Abington (19-18, 9-2 NEAC), this Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m.