Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Freshman catcher Kevin McCarville (Millburn, N.J./Millburn) took full advantage of his first collegiate start, blasting a pair of home runs and finishing 4-for-5 with seven RBIs, leading Gettysburg to a 13-11 victory over Lebanon Valley College in a non-conference baseball slugfest that included a combined 33 hits and five homers Monday afternoon at McGill Field.

McCarville wasted little time making a grand first impression, smacking a two-run homer in his first career at-bat. His two home runs tied a school record and his seven RBIs were just one shy of the Gettysburg standard set by Art Hendley in 1956 and Toby Miller in 1994.

Freshman Augie Stadtmueller (Bernardsville, N.J./Bernards) was one of several other Bullets to enjoy a big day at the plate, finishing 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Junior Mike Backus (Piscataway, N.J./Immaculata) was 2-for-5 with a triple, a home run, two runs, and two RBIs while senior Scott Vladyka (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) added a 2-for-4 day at the plate with three runs. Junior Cory Beddick (Columbia, Pa./Hempfield) also finished 2-for-4.

Sophomore Kyle Conklin (Wantage, N.J./High Point) threw six innings of relief to earn the win for Gettysburg (15-21) . Junior Michael Sweeney (Bethesda, Md./St. Anselm's Abbey School) threw the final 1 1/3 to pick up the save.

Lebanon Valley (19-19-1), which out-hit Gettysburg 18-15 and cracked two home runs of its own, received a 4-for-6 performance from Colt Zarilla.

Both teams enjoyed a successful day on the base paths, combining for eight steals on eight attempts. The Bullets swiped a season-high six bags.

The Bullets offense was in high gear from the early going, scoring two runs in each of the first three innings to assume a 6-1 lead after two and a half innings. Gettysburg led by as much as 13-6 before the Flying Dutchmen rallied with five runs over the final two innings.

Backus put the visitors on top with a two-run homer in the first before McCarville's first dinger made it 4-2 in the second. The Dutchmen threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with one out, before Conklin (4-2) was summoned out of the pen. Conklin promptly induced a 1-2-3 double play to get out of it, and the Bullets would turn another twin killing in the next inning to hold LVC to one run as Gettysburg led 6-3.

McCarville went deep again in his third at-bat with another two-run shot, making it an 8-3 game in the fifth. He added run-scoring singles in the seventh and the eighth, and his last hit gave his team its 13-6 advantage. He also drove in a run with his groundout in the third.

Lebanon Valley rallied with a four-run, six-hit eighth, making it 13-10, but Sweeney came on with runners on first and second to get an inning-ending groundout. The Dutchmen made some noise again in the ninth, scoring once and putting runners on second and third with two outs before Sweeney slammed the door, getting a game-ending pop-up.

The Bullets return home on Tuesday, when they take on Catholic University in another non-conference outing.