GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College baseball team dropped both ends of its Centennial Conference (CC) opener versus Muhlenberg on Saturday at Kirchhoff Field.
Senior
Brad DeMartino (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) tossed seven strong innings in the opener, but the Bullets were edged 3-2. Gettysburg (6-12, 0-2 CC) fell 7-1 in the nightcap.
The Orange and Blue took an early 1-0 lead against the Mules in the first game versus starter RJ Hennessey. Senior
Chuck Probst (North Bend, Pa./Bucktail) and sophomore
Ryan Lacoe (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) led off the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles before sophomore
Tyler Mitchell (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) drove in Probst with a two-out single.
Muhlenberg (9-10, 2-0 CC) answered with two runs in the top of the second, but DeMartino would settle in and blank the Mules from the third through the sixth. In the meantime, the Bullets pulled even at 2-2 in the sixth. Senior
Logan Sneed (Newtown, Pa./Germantown Academy) reached on a bunt before scoring on a two-out single from sophomore
Joe Giovinco (Stirling, N.J./Seton Hall Prep).
The Mules would go on to score the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, however. The leadoff batter reached on an error before scoring on a two-out single by No. 3 hitter Matt Riebesell.
Gettysburg threatened in the eighth, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but reliever Matthew D'Ambrosia induced an inning-ending groundout. D'Ambrosia went on to retire the side in the ninth to earn the save.
DeMartino (1-2) allowed seven hits while striking out seven and walking just one. Only one of his three runs was earned. Junior
Sam Dobbins (West Hartford, Conn./Hall) came on to toss a pair of scoreless innings.
Probst finished 2-for-5 to lead the Bullets at the plate in the opener.
Hennessey (3-2) yielded just two runs (one earned) over six innings while fanning 11. D'Ambrosia fired three scoreless innings.
Muhlenberg never trailed in the nightcap after scoring once in the first inning versus freshman starter
Erik Wortmann (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City). The Mules tacked on three more runs in the third, when they sent all nine batters to the plate while taking a 4-0 advantage.
The Bullets scored their lone run in the bottom of the inning with one hit, one walk, and two errors versus starting pitcher Timmy Pilrun.
Junior
Jonny Bray (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) came on to throw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for Gettysburg before running into trouble in the seventh, when the first three batters reached base and ended up scoring. Freshman
Myles Burbank (Rye, N.Y./Rye) recorded the final three outs of the inning before classmate
Dan Ball (Bernardsville, N.J./Bernards) and junior
Will Wortmann (Bedford, N.Y./Fox Lane) fired one scoreless apiece.
Erik Wortmann (1-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) over 2 1/3 innings. Pilrun (2-1) allowed just five hits and one unearned run over seven innings while striking out six.
Probst doubled in the ninth to stretch his hitting streak to 10.
Gettysburg is scheduled to return home on Monday, when it faces Juniata at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference make-up game.
