NIAGARA FALLS, NY – The D'Youville University baseball team showed a flair for the dramatic in their doubleheader against Gannon University on Tuesday, coming up with clutch hits in the late innings to complete the sweep over the Golden Knights.
 
D'Youville 8, Gannon 7 (9 innings)
 
Gannon took an early 1-0 lead with three hits against Saints' starter Kyle Blunt (Watford, Ontario) in the top of the second. DYU had an opportunity to strike back in the bottom half of the inning after Hunter Nowak (Hamburg, N.Y.) laid down a bunt single and stole second, but they were unable to score.
 
The Golden Knights tacked on two more runs on four hits to extend their lead to 3-0 and chased Blunt from the game in the top of the third.
 
The Saints came storming back in the bottom of the third. After Alex Dzimian (Lakeview, N.Y.) reached on an error and Jake Hollins (Orchard Park, N.Y.) singled, Billy Morris (Lancaster, N.Y.) sent a base hit into right field to bring in DYU's first run of the game. A groundout from Jeremy Glinski (Sloan, N.Y.) brought home Hollins to cut it to 3-2. Next batter, Jon Simpson (Grand Island, N.Y.) laced a double down the left field line to bring in Morris and tie the game at 3-3. Alec Boucher (Essex, Ontario) then gave the Saints a 4-3 lead with an RBI single up the middle.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, a two-out single from Glinski set up a double from Simpson to extend DYU's lead to 5-3.
 
Zach Penner (Leamington, Ontario) allowed only one hit in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to preserve the Saints' lead heading into the seventh inning.
 
After Gannon's first two batters were retired to start the seventh, a hit batsman and three straight hits tied the score at 5-5 and sent the game to extras. A walk and a double in the top of the eighth put the Golden Knights ahead 6-5.
 
With the Saints down to their final out in the bottom of the eighth, Boucher and Dillon Crook (Liverpool, N.Y.) singled to keep the game alive. A wild pitch advanced them to second and third, and a passed ball brought home Boucher to tie the game at 6-6.
 
In the top of the ninth, Gannon took the lead right back with a home run to go ahead 7-6. In the bottom half, DYU was once again down to their final out. Hollins was hit by a pitch to put the tying-run on first. Then, Morris launched a deep fly ball to left center field that cleared the outfield fence for a walk off two-run homer to give the Saints the 8-7 win.
 
D'Youville 7, Gannon 4 (7 innings)
 
The Golden Knights capitalized on a couple of errors from the Saints to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, Morris struck again, homering in his second straight at-bat to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
In the bottom of the second, Boucher doubled and Nowak singled to put runners on the corners to start the inning. An errant pickoff attempt by the Golden Knights brought home Boucher to tie the game at 2-2. Later in the inning, Crook lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give DYU a 3-2 lead.
 
Gannon tied the game up at 3-3 in the top of the fifth after a stolen base and a throwing error brought the tying-run home. Dzimian got the start on the mound for the Saints and exited after five solid innings, allowing three unearned runs on just three hits, and punching out five.
 
DYU loaded the bases to start the bottom of the sixth after walks from Glinski and Boucher and a bunt single from Nowak. Blaise Kolbert (Lancaster, N.Y.) put the Saints back in front with a single through the right side. Later in the inning, with the bases still loaded, Dzimian ripped a double down the right field line that cleared the bases and made it 7-3 heading to the final frame.
 
Mike Pasquarella (Hamburg, N.Y.) threw two solid innings of one-run ball in relief of Dzimian to shut the door on the Golden Knights and secure the 7-4 win for DYU.
 
D'Youville will resume conference play this weekend, when they travel to St. Thomas Aquinas College for a four-game set beginning on Friday at 3:30 p.m.