Game 1 Franciscan Box Score | Game 2 Franciscan Box Score
Game 3 Richard Stockton Box Score | Game 4 Richard Stockton Box Score

VERO BEACH, Fla. – The Gettysburg College baseball team opened its spring break trip to Florida by winning three of its first four games Sunday and Monday in Dodgertown.

The Bullets (3-5) swept Franciscan University (0-4) on Sunday, winning 6-3 in the opener and rallying late for a 5-2 win in the nightcap for their first two wins of the season. Gettysburg split with Richard Stockton College (10-2) on Monday, falling 8-1 in the opener but winning 8-3 in Game Two.

Gettysburg received strong pitching performances, with senior Matt Karis, sophomore Ryan Taylor, and sophomore Brett Norton all throwing complete-game victories while allowing a combined six runs – including just one earned – over 21 innings.

Freshman Patrick O'Grady led the Bullets at the plate during their first two days of their southern swing, as he went 6-for-11 with five runs scored. Senior Chris Simard was 6-for-14 with four runs while junior Clint O'Brien hit 4-for-12 with four runs, a double, and a triple.

The Bullets did not allow an earned run against Franciscan, and in the first game the Bullets took control with a three-run third, getting an RBI-single from Simard, a run-scoring triple from O'Brien, and a sacrifice fly from Karis. The Barons scratched out a run in the fourth to make it 3-1, then tied it with two more in the fifth.

The Bullets went in front to stay in the bottom of the inning however, as O'Brien doubled leading off before scoring on another sac fly from Karis. Gettysburg tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when a double-steal attempt induced an errant throw that allowed both runners to score.

Karis (1-1) finished with a three-hitter, walking two and striking out six, while O'Brien went 2-for-4 with two runs. Stephen Darrenkamp (0-2) suffered the loss for the Barons while working five innings.

In the nightcap, the Bullets trailed 2-1 heading into the top of the seventh before pushing across four runs on one hit, one costly error, two walks, and a hit batsman. Gettysburg was down to its last out with a runner on first when O'Brien drew a walk. Freshman Nate Simon, then launched a fly ball to right that could have ended the game but was dropped, allowing both runs to score and putting the Bullets up 3-2. Two batters later, sophomore Drew Hoppes smacked a two-run single to set the final score.

Franciscan took a 2-1 lead with two hits and two error in the third against Taylor, who settled in to throw three strong innings from the fourth through the sixth, when he retired nine of 11 hitters, with only a pair of batters reaching on errors. However, the Barons threatened in the seventh, putting the tying run at the plate with two outs, but Taylor ended the game with a strikeout.

Taylor (1-1) worked a five-hitter, walked one, and struck out five. Hoppes finished 2-for-4 while Simard scored twice. Starter Matt Talbot (0-2) took the loss in 6 2/3 innings pitched for Franciscan.

Gettysburg fell behind 8-0 in its loss to Richard Stockton before breaking up the shutout with a three-run seventh, which included an RBI-double from Simon. Senior Kyle Conklin was charged with the loss for the Bullets, giving up five runs (two earned) on nine hits through five innings. Conklin (0-1) did not walk a batter and struck out three. Simard went 3-for-4 at the plate while Simon had two RBIs.

Adam Warburton earned the win for the Ospreys, who posted three-run innings in the second and sixth. Warburton (3-0) threw six shutout innings, yielding four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Bullets never trailed in the second game against Richard Stockton. Gettysburg staked Norton to a 2-0 lead in the second, then added five more runs over the next two-and-a-half innings to go ahead 7-1 after the top of the fifth. Freshman Tommy LeNoir highlighted the scoring with a solo home run in the fifth, his second long ball of the season.

Making his first collegiate start, Norton (1-1) went the distance for his first career win and complete game. He scattered seven hits, walked one, and struck out three. O'Grady had a perfect game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs, while Karis was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Gettysburg continues its 10-game, seven-day trip on Tuesday, when it takes on Centenary College at 7 p.m.