Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore right-hander Chris Liegel (Oak Ridge, N.J./Pope John XXIII) allowed just one unearned run in a complete game, and freshman second baseman Mike Backus (Piscataway, N.J./Immaculata) was 4-for-4 at the plate to lead Gettysburg to a 7-1 win against Franklin & Marshall in Centennial Conference (CC) action at Kirchhoff Field on Friday afternoon. Liegel improved his record to 7-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.65 for the season.

For the Bullets (19-6, 8-4 CC), Backus ripped a pair of doubles, the game's only two extra-base hits, scored once and drove in a run. Sophomore shortstop Scott Vladyka (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, and senior right fielder Chase Straub (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

The Diplomats (17-10, 11-3 CC) got one hit each from junior second baseman Mark Minutaglio and junior first baseman Patrick O'Reilly. Sophomore hurler Mark Metsch allowed just three runs, two earned and scattered eight hits in seven innings. He was saddled with the loss despite pitching well and falls to 5-2 on the year.

Minutaglio led off the game with a single up the middle past a diving Backus, but Liegel got the next three hitters to get his teammates to the plate with no damage done.

Backus led off the home half of the first with a double to the gap in left center. He advanced to third on a groundout, and senior designated hitter Joe Bonyai (Torrington, Conn./Hotchkiss School) was intentionally walked after the count went to 3-0. That put runners on first and third with one down, but Donohue hit a ball toward the bag at second that took a favorable bounce to allow Minutaglio to start the twin killing.

After Liegel got the side in order in the second, the Bullets went to work again. Vladyka singled through the right side and stole second base. Two batters later, Straub singled to center to put runners at the corners with one down. Following a lineout, junior centerfielder Sean McGee (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) and Backus collected consecutive RBI singles to give Liegel all the run support he would need.

Gettysburg tried to get something going with one out in the bottom of the third. Junior catcher Michael Donohue (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) laced what appeared to be at least a double to the left-center field. Franklin & Marshall junior center fielder Gordon Pelligrini made the long run and a head-long dive toward left field to make a difficult catch for the second out of the inning. Metsch got Vladyka to ground out to end the inning.

In the top of the fourth, the first two Diplomats reached on errors, and O'Reilly singled through the right side to drive in senior designated hitter Jeffrey Rowand. Sophomore right fielder Shea Moriarty sacrificed the runners to second and third, but Liegel got the next two hitters to get out of the jam and maintain the lead at 2-1.

Gettysburg added a single run in the bottom of the sixth when Vladyka reached on an error, and Straub plated him with a single to center field.

The Bullets broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. They roughed up three Franklin & Marshall pitchers for three hits, a walk, two hit batsmen and two wild pitches. Bonyai and Donohue capped the inning with back-to-back run-scoring singles.

Two of the first three Diplomats reached base in the top of the ninth inning on an error and a walk. Pellegrini grounded out to put runners on second and third with two outs before Liegel finished it with another ground ball out.

Gettysburg will be back in action on Saturday when the Bullets travel to take on Swarthmore in a CC doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.