Box Score

YORK, Pa. – Senior designated hitter Brian Pernice (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown) tied the Gettysburg single-game record with two home runs, but it was not enough for the Bullets to overcome a five-run first inning in a 7-3 loss to York (Pa.) in non-conference action at Jacquet Field on Tuesday afternoon. Pernice is the 12th Bullet to go deep twice in the same game, and the first since 2001.

York (28-9) ace Chris Brower, a senior right-hander, went the distance with 10 strikeouts to improve to 8-1. He scattered 10 hits and allowed just three runs. He was backed up by two hits each from senior third baseman Bryan Bednarczyk, sophomore center fielder Ryan Poff and freshman left fielder Mike Connolly. Poff and Connolly were two of the six Spartans who each drove in a run.

Bullet (25-11) senior first baseman Joe Bonyai (Torrington, Conn./Hotchkiss School), who earlier in the day became the first Gettysburg player to be named first-team All-Centennial Conference three times, led the way with three hits in four trips. Included was his 10th double of the season, and he is now just five hits short of tying his own single-season school record of 58 set in 2006. Senior right fielder Chase Straub (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), a second-team All-CC selection, double and scored, and senior left fielder Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) had a hit and an RBI. Pernice's solo home runs were his first two of the season and bring his career total to eight.

Gettysburg freshman second baseman Mike Backus (Piscataway, N.J./Immaculata) led off the game with a single to left field. Two batters later, he went to third on a single through the right side by Bonyai, putting runners on the corners with one out. Brower bounced back to get the next two hitters, and his teammates went to work for him in the bottom of the inning.

The Spartans put together four hits and a Gettysburg error to cross the plate five times. A bases-loaded walk by Poff drove in the first run. The next one came in on a fielding error, and the bases remained loaded. Connolly grounded out unassisted to first base to plate junior catcher Mike Santoro. Back-to-back RBI singles by sophomore designated hitter Matt Austin and junior right fielder Dennis Maxim completed the rally.

Pernice got one back with two outs in the second, connecting for his first round tripper of the day. York would tack on single runs in the third and fourth innings, closing out the Spartans' scoring, but Brower made the seven runs stand up.

The Gettysburg designated hitter homered again in the top of the seventh, making it 7-2. The visitors then tried to get something going in their final at bat. Straub led off with a double to left, and junior center fielder Sean McGee (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) followed with a single through the left side. With runners on first and third and no outs, Campo ground into a fielder's choice that brought Straub in, but Brower induced a double play to end the game.

The Bullets will return to action this weekend when they take part in the double-elimination Centennial Conference tournament. As the fourth seed, they will travel to Lancaster, Pa., on Friday to face No. 1 seed Franklin & Marshall at 3:30 p.m. They will then face either Ursinus or No. 16 Johns Hopkins at 12:30 p.m. Should Gettysburg advance, it would play at either 4 p.m. on Saturday or 12 p.m. on Sunday.