MEADVILLE, PA.  --  The Hiram College baseball team fell twice in the final North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader against Allegheny (Pa.) College of the four-game series in Meadville, Pa.

In game one, Allegheny (13-5, 3-1 NCAC) scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning and added another run in the third to lead 3-0 early.  Hiram (4-12, 1-3 NCAC) then evened the score with a three-run fifth inning thanks to three separate RBI base hits by junior outfielder/pitcher Jaren Bell (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton), senior All-NCAC infielder/pitcher Tim Calhoun (Canfield) and junior infielder Mark Leone (Boardman).  But the Gators quickly regained the lead scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 5-3.  The two Allegheny runs would be the difference maker, despite Hiram getting the two potential game-tying runs on base in the seventh, as the Gators hung on for the 5-3 victory.

Hiram ended the game with 10 hits with sophomore infielder Trevor Foster (Warren/Champion) recording a game-high three hits in four attempts.  Junior All-NCAC infielder Jim Jaksa (Chesterland/West Geauga) went two-of-four and freshman Ty Walchanowicz (Garfield Heights) rounded out the multi-hit efforts going two-of-three and scored a run.

Junior Pat Rhodes (Girard) started on the mound for the Terriers and pitched four innings allowing four runs on seven hits and had two strikeouts.  He also suffered the loss and is now 1-3 overall for the season.  Freshman Clayton Torok (Kirtland) replaced Rhodes and pitched one-and-a-third innings giving up one run on two hits.  Junior Tanner Gilchrist (Ellwood City, Pa./Lincoln finished the game and allowed no runs or hits.

In game two, Hiram struck first with a solo homerun by Calhoun in the top of the first inning to put the Terriers up, 1-0.  Allegheny came right back with three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 advantage.  Hiram got one of the runs back thanks to a RBI-single by Jaksa in the fourth, but the Gators added four more runs in the fifth to make it a 7-2 ball game.  Allegheny went on to score four more runs in the seventh and then ended the scoring with a solo homer in the eight en route to posting the 12-2 win.

Hiram recorded a second straight game with 10 hits with Leone posting three hits in four attempts.  Calhoun ended the game two-of-three with a pair of runs scored and a RBI.  Jaksa went two-of-four overall to go along with the RBI.

On the mound, Bell got the start and pitched four-and-a-third innings giving up six runs on six hits and had one strikeout.  Gilchrist pitched two-thirds of an inning allowing one run on two hits.  Freshman Max Bauch (Rootstown) came on to pitch an inning-and-a-third of relief and gave up four runs on four hits to go along with a strikeout and fellow freshman Alex Kania (Newbury) pitched the final inning and two-thirds allowing one run on two hits and struck out one batter.

Hiram is scheduled to travel to Oberlin to make up the second NCAC doubleheader against Oberlin College from last weekend on Wednesday, Apr. 9.  The first game is slated to begin at 1 p.m.