Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Austin Ball (Famingdale, NY/Hills East) had a 3-for-4 day from the plate with two runs scored to help Gettysburg earn an 8-4 Centennial Conference (CC) baseball victory over McDaniel on Monday.

Greg Hammack was also 3-for-4 with a run scored on the afternoon for the Green Terror (11-3, 5-1 CC), who dropped their first conference game of the season.

Tom Gallione (Denarest, NJ/Northern Valley) pitched six-plus innings for the Bullets (10-9-1, 3-3 CC), fanning five McDaniel batters for his second win of the season. Green Terror starter Tyler Stewart only lasted two batters into the third inning, surrendering four earned runs on six hits to pick up the loss.

On a cold and blustery afternoon, Gettysburg jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead and never trailed after that.

Brian Pernice (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown) extending his current hitting streak to a team-best nine games, opening the home first with a single to center. Ron Lettieri (South Hempstead, NY/South Side) drew a walk before both advanced on a groundout to third base. After a flyout to right, Pernice scored on a wild pitch for the 1-0 advantage.

In the home second, the Bullets exploded for four runs to extend their lead to 5-0. Ball, Brendan McDonald (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) and Ben Carey (Colchester, CT/St. Bernard) opened the frame with singles to left. Carey's knock down the line allowed Ball to score from second and put runners at the corners with no one out.

Chase Straub (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) loaded the bases when he reached on an error in a sacrifice attempt. Pernice earned the sacrifice when McDonald scored on his fly out to left. Lettieri cleared the bases with a double to the gap in right-center, to mark this fifth time this season he had at least two RBIs in a game

McDaniel got the four runs back in the top of the third, however. Hammack led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on a Rusty LaMotte double to right.

Gallione picked LaMotte off going to third base for the first out of the inning. Chris Seibert walked before Chad Keller flied out to left.

CC Player of the Week Ryan Shotzberger started a two-out rally, reaching on a hit by pitch. Jimmy Dahlgren singled to left to score Seibert and cut the deficit to 5-2. Kevin Salamone followed with a two-RBI single to right to make it 5-4 before a fly ball to left field ended the rally.

The Bullets continued to play small ball to plate one more in the fourth and two in the seventh for the 8-4 final.

In the fourth, back-to-back walks to start the inning opened the door for Gettysburg. Nathan Smith (Milford, NY/Cooperstown) attempt at a sacrifice bunt was foiled when Mitch Hoffman elected to get the lead runner at third. With two on and one out, Mike Luteran (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) singled up the middle to score Lettieri.

In the seventh, Ball led off with a single, and advanced to second on a wild throw by the second baseman. A McDonald walk put runners on first and second with no one out before the back-to-back sacrifices allowed Ball to plate his second run of the afternoon.

With McDonald still at second and two out, Pernice traded places by finding the gap in left-center for his second RBI of the game.

Brian Spicer (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield) worked the final three innings to pick up his second save of the season, the only Gettysburg pitcher with saves to his credit in 2004. Spicer allowed just one hit and struck out five of the 10 batters he faced.

The Bullets return to action against Franklin & Marshall on Tuesday. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

Tyler Stewart, Mitch Hoffman (3), Jarrett Smith (9) and Justin Bilohlavek; Tom Gallione, Brian Spicer (7) and Mike Luteran. WP: Gallione (2-2). LP: Stewart (3-2). S: Spicer (2). SO-BB: Stewart 0-2, Hoffman 4-4, Smith 2-0; Gallione 5-3, Spicer 5-1. 2B: Chris Seibert (M), Rusty LaMotte (M), Brian Pernice (G), Ron Lettieri (G).

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