Bradford baseball coach Eric Haynoski was looking for a big pitching performance from junior right-hander Michael Gow, and he got one.

Gow scattered nine hits while allowing two earned runs over 6.2 innings to lead the Owls (3-2) over Port Allegany (2-3), 9-3, at Pitt-Bradford on Tuesday.

After surrendering singles to the first three batters of the game, Gow settled in. He allowed another run in the second inning when Blaine Moses scored on a groundout after doubling, but after that, he kept the Gators off the scoreboard until the seventh.

“In the beginning, he served up a lot of pitches that were up in the strike zone,” Haynoski said. “Throughout the game, he started getting the ball low and working the zone and corners. His curveball and slider were really working today, and he definitely kept the batters off balance.”

Gow struck out four batters while walking just one, and was only kept from finishing the game by his pitch count.

“It was nice to see him back into his normal form,” Haynoski said. “He’s a good pitcher, he’s been working hard to get better, and he’s hitting spots. That’s what’s going to carry him.”

After the Gators plated a run on Gow in the top of the first, Bradford took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the frame.

Austen Davis, Dalton Dixon and Gow each singled to start the inning. Then, Nolan Ruolo reached base on an error that scored two runs before a Brett Danias-Skaggs double brought home two more. Danias-Skaggs then scored on a sacrifice fly by Cam Austin.

Haynoski complimented the aggressiveness of his offense.

“We were swinging,” he said, “and we didn’t take pitches.”

Bradford scored three more runs in the third after a double by Ruolo and a walk drawn by Davias-Skaggs set the Owls up to start the inning.

Ashton Smith and Calvin Minich each followed with RBI singles, while Davias-Skaggs scored on a wild pitch. The Owls’ other two runs came in the fourth.

Davis finished with two hits and a run scored while Dixon, Ruolo and Danias-Skaggs each scored two runs. Ruolo went 2-for-3 on the afternoon, while Dixon was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Port Allegany had ample chances to get back into the game, as the Gators had at least one baserunner in all but one inning and multiple baserunners in five of them. They left 12 runners on base, however, while Bradford only stranded five.

“We made a couple mistakes, but we didn’t let it snowball,” Haynoski said. “When we did make a mistake, we rebounded and had a good defensive play to pick each other up. It was good team baseball.”

Isaiah Caden had a pair of singles for the Gators, while Drew Benson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Trey Ayers finished with two hits and a run batted in as well.

Drew Evens got the start on the mound for Port A, striking out one while walking two over 3.1 innings. Ty Guilds relieved Evens midway through the fourth and racked up three strikeouts the rest of the way.

Haynoski called the contest a “clean game all around,” and while he was pleased with the effort of his pitcher and offense, he felt that his team could have played with more energy.

“I thought we actually played a little flat. I didn’t like that,” Haynoski said. “I think if we come out flat like this again, I don’t think that result is going to keep happening. We need to come out with a little more energy and drive, and just play clean baseball.”

The Owls return to Pitt-Bradford on Wednesday to play Punxsutawney. Port Allegany, which dropped its third-straight game after opening the season with a pair of wins, will travel to Coudersport on Friday.

AT BRADFORD

                                    R H E

Port Allegany 110 000 1 3 9 1

Bradford 403 200 X 9 10 3

PA: Drew Evens (1 SO, 2 BB), Ty Guilds (4) (4 SO, 0 BB) and Trey Ayers

Bradford: Michael Gow (4 SO, 2 BB), Michael Greenberg (7) (0 SO, 1 BB) and Brett Davias-Skaggs