GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Ursinus College baseball team earned a split at Gettysburg as the Bears dropped a heart-breaking opener, 10-9, and outslugged the Bullets, 11-8, in the nightcap of a high-scoring Centennial Conference twin bill.
Ursinus (14-13, 4-6) was a few outs away from a sweep but two Gettysburg comebacks in the eighth and ninth innings ended up dooming the Bears to a Game 1 defeat.
Many Bears contributed at the plate on their way to scoring 20 runs on 31 hits for the afternoon. Junior Dom Fiorentino deposited his fifth home run of the season in Game 2; he collected four hits, four runs and two RBI overall.
Junior Alex Mumme registered four hits with four RBI, two doubles, two runs and three walks. Sophomore Tom Jacobs stayed hot, driving in five runs and going 5-for-8 with two doubles and three runs.
In Game 2, Ursinus banged out a season-high 22 hits to salvage a split. Freshmen pitchers James Schuld and Ryan Schwab were able to hold to the lead late. Schuld earned his first collegiate win as he worked through four innings, allowing just a hit and a run while striking out four.
Schwab inherited the bases loaded in his second career appearance. He struck out the only hitter he faced to end the game and pick up his first career save.
Game 1: Gettysburg 10, Ursinus 9
The eighth and ninth innings were a rollercoaster ride for the Bears. Ursinus took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning before Gettysburg's big seven-run frame. The Bears rallied for four runs to go up 9-8 in the top of the ninth but saw the Bullets score two in the bottom half to walk off.
The Bullets (14-14, 3-7) were held off the board since scoring once in the first until seven runs came home in the eighth. Gettysburg pounded out seven hits in the frame. The orange and blue singled twice to open the outburst, forcing the Bears to turn to sophomore pitcher Nolan Graber out of the bullpen after sophomore Will Peiffer's solid outing. A wild pitch advanced runners up to second and third before a grounder to shortstop was mishandled as the Bullets scored their second run.
An RBI single through the left side cut the Bears' lead to 5-3. Two singles to left field then tied the game at 5-5 before Andrew Decker plated the Bullets' go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to center. Ryan LaCoe doubled to score two more and cap the hosts' explosion.
But the Bears came right back in the ninth. Senior Carter Usowski singled with one out and scored on Jacobs' sacrifice fly. Junior Jake Supran drew a two-out walk as the Bears had first and second with Fiorentino as the potential go-ahead run. He was hit by a pitch by new pitcher Sam Dobbins.
Ursinus had the powerful Mumme at the dish with the game in the balance. With the count full, Mumme delivered a two-run single to left. Gettysburg's left fielder made an errant throw past the third baseman that allowed Fiorentino to come home to go up 9-8.
The Bullets singled to start the bottom of the ninth. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second. After a walk and hit by pitch, a single to center platyed two runs to walk-off the game.
Peiffer tied career highs in innings (7) and strikeouts (7) as he gave the Bears a quality start. He scattered 10 hits while allowing three runs.
Gettysburg plated the first run of the day in the first frame, but the Bears responded with a pair of two-out unearned runs. Fiorentino walked with the bases loaded in the second and Jacobs scored on a wild pitch to the backstop.
Ursinus capitalized on another Gettysburg miscue in the fourth, which led to a bases-loaded walk by Mumme to go up 3-1. Sophomore Jerry Scavone's leadoff single down the right field line came around to score when Jacobs chopped an infield single off the third baseman to expand the advantage to 4-1. Scavone collected three hits in the game.
Gettysburg registered 17 hits. Sean Murphy went 4-for-5 with a run and RBI
Game 2: Ursinus 11, Gettysburg 8
Three consecutive hits by the Bears opened Game 2. Usowski picked up an RBI single through the left side. A wild pitch scored Ursinus' second run before sophomore Eric Gross singled in Usowski as the Bears look an early 3-0 edge. Gross finished the game 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run.
In the second, Fiorentino hammered a solo home run over the pine trees in right field.
The Bears plated three runs in the fifth on four hits and a Gettysburg miscue. Fiorentino came around to score on a throwing error. Gross' single knocked in junior Mike Stanziale, who doubled in the previous at-bat. Stanziale went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run. Jacobs then sent a single up the middle to lead 7-2. Jacobs finished 3-for-5 with three runs batted in.
Gettysburg pounced for five runs on six hits to tie it in the bottom half. Murphy delivered a two-run homer and Matt Szczesny hit a two-run double to left center to highlight the Bullets' stanza.
In the sixth, the Bears snatched the lead back (9-7). Mumme flew out to center in order to score Peiffer who singled to start the frame. Later on, Jacobs singled home Usowski.
Jacobs smoked a double to center, driving in Ursinus' 10th run of the contest in the eighth. The Bears' second run of the frame came home on Moldoff's RBI single.
The bottom of the ninth inning wasn't easy for the Bears. Freshman A.J. Palumbo came on to relieve Schuld to get the last out with the bases juiced.
Palumbo walked in a Gettysburg run. The Bullets had the potential winning run on first when the Bears elected to bring in rookie Ryan Schwab. He struck out the only hitter he faced to end the game.
Ursinus welcomes non-conference opponent Widener to Thomas Field Monday at 3:30 p.m.