Box Score – Game 1
Box Score – Game 2
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg and Muhlenberg took turns using six-run sixth innings to post come-from-behind victories en route to a split of their Centennial Conference (CC) baseball doubleheader on Saturday. Playing the first games on newly christened Kirchhoff Field, the Mules (9-12-1, 4-8-1 CC) won the opener 9-8 while the Bullets (12-15-1, 5-9 CC) prevailed in game two, 10-6.
Ron Lettieri (South Hempstead, NY/South Side) singled home Brian Pernice (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown) with the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of the nightcap ahead of game-breaking RBI doubles from Nathan Smith (Milford, NY/Cooperstown Central) and Brendan McDonald (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union).
McDonald smacked a double in each contest and drilled his first home run of the season in game two. Ben Carey (Colchester, CT/St. Bernard) doubled and hit his first collegiate home run in the opener, finishing 3-for-6 on the afternoon with five runs scored. Joe Bonyai (Torrington, CT/Hotchkiss School) led Gettysburg with four hits in the twinbill.
Matthew Long and Mike Hart each went 4-for-7 to lead the Muhlenberg offense. Adam Sadler's pinch-hit, three-run home run jump-started the Mules' six-run sixth inning in the opener, helping the visitors rally from a 7-3 deficit. Aaron Regensburg went the distance to pick up his third win of the season.
Trailing 6-4 in game two and six outs from being swept, the Bullets duplicated Muhlenberg's six-run sixth to post their first win at Kirchhoff Field.
Mule starter Matthew Cooper hit Carey with a pitch to open the inning, then walked pinch hitter Jimmy McNamara (Webster, NY/Webster). Pernice dropped down a sacrifice bunt, and the throw to first sailed up the right field line, allowing Carey and pinch-runner Chase Straub (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) to score and tie the game at 6.
Austin Ball (Farmingdale, NY/Hills East) sacrificed Pernice to second and Lettieri followed with a line drive single to right field, putting Gettysburg ahead 7-6. Joe Giordano (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa) pinch-ran for Lettieri and scored on a pair of wild pitches sandwiched around a Bonyai single. Smith and McDonald followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to cap the rally and give the Bullets a 10-6 lead.
Tobin Whitman (Lyme Center, NH/Hanover), who took the loss in game one, closed out his second win of the year with a scoreless seventh.
Muhlenberg didn't lead game two until the fifth inning when Regensburg singled home Long and Pete Oris sprinted home on a double steal to make it 5-4. Long's double in the sixth plated James Petersen to extend the lead to 6-4 before Gettysburg rallied.
In the opener, the Mules battled back from four runs down with a decisive sixth.
Rush started the frame with a double down the right field line and Brian LaRochelle reached on an infield single. Batting for starter A.J. Bettini, Sadler drilled a towering fly ball that bounced off the top of the fence in left center and skipped over for a three-run home run to pull the visitors within 7-6.
Ryan Sassaman singled home Oris to tie the game and Hart followed with a base hit through the right side to plate C.J. Kessler with the go-ahead run. Rush knocked in Sassaman with a two-out single to add a key insurance tally.
The Bullets got within 9-8 with a run in the sixth, but Regensburg closed out the victory with a 1-2-3 seventh.
Gettysburg built a 7-3 lead thanks to four unearned runs in the fifth and the slugging of Carey, who deposited his first collegiate round-tripper over the left field fence to open the second inning.
Prior to Saturday's action, ceremonies were held to dedicate Kirchhoff Field in honor of Gettysburg alumni William '63 and Jean Cleveland Kirchhoff '64. William Kirchhoff was a member of the Bullet baseball team.
Gettysburg returns to action on Sunday with a doubleheader at Haverford. Game one is slated for 1 p.m.
| Score by Innings (Game 1) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
- |
R |
H |
E |
| Muhlenberg (9-11-1, 4-7-1 CC) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
- |
9 |
12 |
2 |
| Gettysburg (11-15-1, 4-9 CC) |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
- |
8 |
9 |
2 |
Aaron Regensburg and A.J. Bettini; Brian Spicer, Ross Hempel (6), Tobin Whitman (6), Rob Borman (6) and Mike Luteran. WP: Regensburg (3-3). LP: Whitman (1-2). SO-BB: Regensburg 3-1, Spicer 1-9, Hempel 0-0, Whitman 1-0, Borman 1-1. 2B: Joel Rush (M), Luteran (G), Ben Carey (G), Brendan McDonald (G). HR: Adam Sadler (M), Carey (G).
| Score by Innings (Game 2) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
- |
R |
H |
E |
| Muhlenberg (9-12-1, 4-8-1 CC) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
- |
6 |
11 |
3 |
| Gettysburg (12-15-1, 5-9 CC) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
x |
- |
10 |
10 |
3 |
Matthew Cooper, Jason Bonder (6), Eric Wolfer (6), Pete Lankarge (6) and Sadler; Chris Threadgill, Whitman (4) and McDonald. WP: Whitman (2-2). LP: Bonder (0-2). SO-BB: Cooper 4-3, Bonder 0-0, Wolfer 0-0, Lankarge 0-0, Threadgill 2-2, Whitman 1-0. 2B: Matthew Long (M), Nathan Smith (G), McDonald (G). HR: McDonald (G).
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