GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Senior Andrew Decker (Baltimore, Md./Towson) hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and Gettysburg College (8-10) held on for an 8-7 win over Mount Aloysius College (9-5) in the opening game of a non-conference doubleheader at Kirchhoff Field on Saturday. The Bullets rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth in the second game, but the Mounties eventually slipped past 9-8 in 11 innings to pull off the split.
 
Gettysburg jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first game. Each of the first three batters connected on base hits with sophomore Tristan Neels (San Diego, Calif./Francis W. Paker) bringing home two runs with a double to left field in the first inning. Neels scored on a ground out to push the lead to 3-0 after an inning of play. Junior Kyle Miller (Montclair, Montclair) added an RBI single in the second inning and Decker scored on a groundout after hitting a triple in the third inning.
 
Mount Aloysius jumped in front with six runs in the fourth inning. The Mounties sent 11 batters to the plate and came away with four hits and a pair of walks. A run-scoring single by Aidan Bell put the visitors in front 6-5.
 
Junior Ken Spadaccini (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) kept the Mounties at bay during his 4.2 innings of work, scattering six hits and not allowing a run. Mount Aloysius was poised to add to the lead after loading the bases in the sixth inning, but Tyler Quade was thrown out on an attempted steal of home to close the threat.
 
Gettysburg struck in the seventh inning. Miller reached on an error by the shortstop and senior Matt Muir (South Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) reached on an infield single. After a fly out to center, Decker smashed his first career home run over the fence in left field to give the Bullets an 8-6 lead.
 
In the top of the ninth, the Mounties initiated a two-out rally and loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, single, and walk. Another hit-by-pitch brought in a run cut the lead to 8-7. Junior Brett Leighton (Collegeville, Pa./Pope John Paul II) came into the game and promptly struck out Tyler Suder to earn his first career save.
 
Spadaccini struck out five to even his record at 1-1. The first four hitters in Gettysburg's lineup – Miller, Muir, Neels, and Decker – each posted a pair of hits in four at bats.
 
The nightcap was bereft of drama until the late innings. Mount Aloysius scored their first run after an error in the first inning, while Gettysburg's first run came home on a single by sophomore David Preziuso (Middletown, Del./Caravel Academy) in the fourth.
 
The two teams combined for 12 runs in a wild seventh inning. The Mounties took their turn first, scoring six runs after sending 10 batters to the plate. A trio of Gettysburg errors contributed to four unearned tallies and a two-run single by Troy Emert gave the visitors a 7-1 lead.
 
The Bullets came right back with six runs in the bottom of the frame. Miller initiated the rally with a lead-off single through the left side and came home on a sacrifice fly by Decker. Senior Mark Seibert (Yardley, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) posted an RBI single and junior JR McCloskey (Huntington, N.Y./Chaminade) laced a two-run single to right to pull Gettysburg within a run. Miller followed with his second hit of the inning to tie the game 7-7.
 
Controversy surrounded the next run in the game. After back-to-back singles by the Mounties, Leighton entered the game on the mound for Gettysburg. Suder managed to lay down a bunt in no-man's land between third and the mound, but Leighton rebounded with a strikeout of Quade. The next batter, Jeremy Iellimo lifted a short fly to center field and the runner from third tagged on the out. Miller fired a one-hopper to the plate and McCloskey laid down the tag, but the umpire ruled the runner safe to the chagrin of the Bullets. Leighton struck out the next batter to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Preziuso led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice. A strike out put the pressure on McCloskey to deliver and the junior catcher answered the call, finding green in short right field to score Preziuso from second base and tying the game.
 
After a quiet 10th, Mount Aloysius delivered the final run on an error with two outs in the 11th inning. The Bullets put two runners in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Quade caught McCloskey looking at a breaking ball for strike three to end the game.
 
Miller and freshman Jack Pistner (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) each went 4-for-6 with a run and one RBI. Preziuso finished 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI, while McCloskey finished with two hits and three RBI. The Gettysburg catcher also threw out two would-be base stealers, raising his season total to 12 this spring.
 
Gettysburg visits Albright College on Monday, March 28, at 3:30 p.m.