ERIE, Pa. - D'Youville (9-18) rallied for four runs in a rain-delayed ninth inning but came up short in an 11-9 loss to Gannon University (9-16) on Tuesday at McConnell Family Stadium.
The Saints collected 11 hits in the contest and jumped out to an early lead, but Gannon used an 18-hit performance to take control in the middle innings.
D'Youville opened the scoring in the first. Billy Morris doubled down the right field line and later scored when Colby Wilson singled up the middle to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.
The Saints added three more runs in the third inning. Blaise Kolbert doubled to center and Morris followed with an RBI single. Wilson then delivered the big swing of the inning, launching a two-run home run to left center to extend the D'Youville lead to 4-2.
Gannon responded with a four-run fifth inning to move in front, capitalizing on a series of hits and aggressive baserunning to take a 6-4 advantage.
Gannon continued to add on, scoring once in the sixth and again in the seventh before a two-run home run in the eighth stretched the lead to 11-4.
D'Youville began to chip away in the eighth when Anthony Consiglio reached on a fielder's choice that brought home a run to make it 11-5.
The Saints mounted a late push in the ninth. Kolbert drew a leadoff walk and Morris followed with his second double of the day. Wilson drove in a run with a groundout before Consiglio and Cooper Cefaratti each singled to keep the inning alive. Derek Onevelo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Michael Huff singled to center to score a run. The game then entered a roughly 45 minute lightning delay, leaving runners on base and the Saints down to their final two outs as the teams scrambled indoors to avoid the weather. When play resumed, Jake Ferris contributed another RBI on a groundout, but the rally ended on a popout to shortstop for the final out.
Morris and Kolbert led the Saints with three hits each. Morris scored three runs and drove in one, while Kolbert added two doubles and scored twice. Wilson finished with four RBI's, highlighted by his two-run home run in the third inning. Consiglio also recorded two hits and scored twice.
Matt McGeorge started on the mound for D'Youville, allowing two earned runs over two innings while striking out two. Greg Orcutt, Eric Osterstrom, Sean Glinski, Sam Iuvino, Evan Froelich, and Carson Mazur each appeared in relief.
Up next, the Saints are on the road to Flushing, N.Y. for a twin bill with Queens College on April 3rd.
