Game 1 Box Score  Game 2 Box Score

WINCHESTER, Va. – Despite solid pitching performances from junior Michael Sweeney (Bethesda, Md./St. Anselm's Abbey School) and sophomore Matt Karis (Southborough, Mass./Noble & Greenough School), the Gettysburg College baseball team dropped both ends of its season-opening doubleheader at Shenandoah University Wednesday afternoon.

The upstart Hornets (12-1) won the opener 7-3 on the strength of a six-run first, then capitalized on four Gettysburg errors in the nightcap, scoring three unearned runs in a 4-2 victory.

Shenandoah chased Bullet starter Will Kleva (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) after 2/3 of an inning in the opener, pushing across six runs on four hits, two walks, and three wild pitches. No. 6 hitter Cory Nelson provided the big blow with a three-run homer that made 5-0.

Sweeney came on with a runner on first and third and allowed the sixth run to score after back-to-back wild pitches. But he induced a groundout to end the inning. He was sharp the rest of the way, however, yielding only an unearned run in the second inning on an errant pick-off throw.

The Bullets got on the scoreboard in the third, when a Mike Backus (Piscataway, N.J./Immaculata) sacrifice fly plated sophomore Chris Simard (Lexington, Mass./Belmont Hill). Then in the fifth, Gettysburg received an RBI-single from freshman Drew Roy (Needham, Mass./Needham) and a sac fly from junior Kevin Langhauser (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge). But Hornet starter Eric Rabung and Josh Simons finished strong, retiring the final nine Bullets.

Roy finished 3-for-4 while Simard collected two hits and two runs. Sweeney scattered six hits and walked none while striking out three. Kleva (0-1) was tagged with the loss.

Rabung (3-0) worked five innings to pick up the win, surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk. Simons tossed a pair of perfect innings and fanned two.

In Game Two, senior Scott Vladyka (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield) put the Bullets up 1-0 with a leadoff home run in the second. But Shenandoah answered with a pair of unearned runs off Karis in the bottom of the frame on one hit, one walk, and two errors.

Vladyka got things started again in the fourth, leading off with a single before scoring on a wild pitch three batters later to make it 2-2. But Shenandoah's pitching finished strong once again, holding the Bullets hitless the rest of the way while retiring 10 of last 11 batters.

The Hornets pushed across the go-ahead goal in the fourth, getting back-to-back singles to lead off the inning followed by a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. Shenandoah added an insurance run in the fifth on two errors, a sac bunt and a sac fly.

Gettysburg had the tying run at the plate in the seventh when sophomore Cory Jackmuff (Woodbury, N.J./West Deptford) was hit with a pitch by reliever Gage Levac with one out. But Levac got back-to-back groundouts to earn the save.

Karis (0-1) allowed just five hits and one earned run over six innings. He struck out three and walked two.

Reliever Greg Van Sickler (2-0) threw 3 1/3 innings to pick up the win for the Hornets.

Vladyka finished 2-for-3 with two runs.

Gettysburg returns to the diamond March 8-14, when it plays 10 games during its Spring Break trip to Cocoa, Fla.