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Box Score

BUTLER, Pa. - The Gannon baseball team had the tying run in scoring position during both the eighth and ninth innings of Wednesday's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament opener but were unable to come up with the timely hit, falling by a 5-4 score to Kutztown.

Gannon struck first in the nine-inning contest only to see Kutztown build a 5-1 lead after scoring runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Gannon added two runs in the fifth and had at least one runner on in each of the final four innings, but managed just one run to account for the 5-4 final.

The Golden Knights first run came thanks to an RBI single from Michael Tomko (Sharon, Pa. / Sharon) in the bottom of the first. After Dylan Schwegler (Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell Area) walked, Tim Lipp (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk) followed with a perfectly placed bunt down the first base line, beating out the throw. Tomko's hit through the right side gave Gannon the 1-0 lead. 

After both teams were scoreless in the second, Kutztown posted back-to-back two run innings in the third and fourth. In the third, the Golden Bears managed just one hit, but were aided by two Gannon errors, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly to produce the pair of runs. In the fourth, Kutztown used four straight two-out hits to make it a 4-1 lead. The Golden Bears added one more in the fifth after back-to-back singles, later scoring on a sacrifice fly. 

However, as they have several times this season, the Golden Knights rallied back. Michael Brosius (North Tonawanda, N.Y. / North Tonawanda) led off the fifth with a single to right field before Schwegler executed the second bunt single of the day for Gannon. On the play, Brosius was able to advance to third, sliding around the tag from Kutztown. Lipp's sacrifice fly advanced both runners as Brosius once again maneuvered around the tag at home plate. Tomko followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Schwegler to cut the Golden Bear's lead to two.

Gannon's starting hurler Paul McKenna (Oakville, Ontario / Iroquois Ridge) made quick work in both the sixth and seventh innings before getting into a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. The Golden Knights elected to intentionally walk Shayne Houck, who recently set the PSAC all-time home run record with his 44th career blast, loading the bases for Matt Albaugh. However, McKenna forced a groundout to third base with a full count to keep the lead at two.

The bottom of Gannon's order produced back-to-back hits in the eighth to bring the deficit down to one. Catcher Nico Baldelli (Ellwood, Pa. / Riverside) reached base for the third time in the game with a single up the middle before Ryan Tuner (Pickering, Ontario / Dunbarton) followed with his second double of the game from the eighth spot in the lineup, making it a 5-4 game. 

Mark Corlozzi (Poland, Ohio / Poland Seminary) worked a one-two-three ninth, allowing Gannon a chance in their final at bat. The tying run reached when Lipp singled up the middle, but a popup and two groundouts sent Kutztown on with the one-run victory. 

McKenna worked his longest outing of the year, taking the loss after allowing three earned runs on 10 hits. He struck out three while tossing 124 pitches. 

Five Golden Knights finished with two hits including Lipp, Tomko, Bradley, Baldelli and Turner. For the game, Gannon's 6-7-8 hitters went 6-for-13 with an RBI and two extra-base hits. 

Tom Neely picked up the win for Kutztown after throwing six innings, allowing three runs  on nine hits and recording eight K's. 

The game featured a total of 22 runners left on base as each squad stranded 11. Gannon fell to 25-22 this season while the Golden Bears improved to 33-15. Gannon will now face Slippery Rock in an elimination game Thursday, May 3 at 9:30 a.m.