AURORA, N.Y. - Junior catcher Salvador Diaz (Norwalk, Calif.) was a triple shy of the cycle here Saturday evening as Gallaudet University began a three-game United East Conference baseball series at Wells College.

Diaz finished the game 3-for-5, slammed his second home run of the season, and drove in Gallaudet's first four runs but it wasn't enough against the Express, who rallied to win 12-8 in nine innings.

Diaz hit a RBI single in the top of the first to get Gallaudet (7-24, 1-12 United East) on the scoreboard before Wells (8-19, 2-11 United East) scored on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half.

The game remained knotted at 1-1 until the fourth when Diaz smacked a solo home run. Wells, again answered, in the bottom half when John Valinoti hit a three-run home run off Bison starting pitcher Eli Solomon (Flushing, N.Y.) as the Express led 4-2.

Diaz tied the game in the fifth with a two-run double.

GU regained the lead, 5-4, in the top of the seventh when freshman Darico Castillo (Passaic, N.J.) singled home Diaz.

The Express responded in the bottom of the seventh with six runs led by Zac Legaretta's two-run home run that gave Wells the lead for good.

Gallaudet didn't give up as the buff and blue scored two runs in the eighth to cut the Express lead to three, 10-7.

After Wells matched Gallaudet's two-run eighth with its own, the Bison faced a five-run deficit going into the ninth.

Junior Joshua Dugan (San Antonio, Texas) singled to right field to plate senior Austin Sliva-Wynne (Rosenberg, Texas) but Dugan got thrown out at second base, trying to extend the hit, to end the game. Sliva-Wynne (three runs) and Dugan tallied two hits each in the contest.

Solomon (0-6) took the loss as he pitched 6.1 innings and struck out two.

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will play two more games against Wells College tomorrow (Sunday, April 16) before heading home to Washington, D.C..