Baseball Stays Undefeated in AMCC with Sweep of Lake Erie
The
Penn State Behrend Lions took on the Lake Erie Storm at the Behrend Field on
Thursday, April 10, winning both games of the doubleheader.
Behrend won game one 4-3 in nine innings and came away with an 8-7 win in
game two. The blue and white remain undefeated in conference play, with an 8-0 record in the AMCC
and an impressive 18-4 overall mark.
Game one began with the blue and white getting on the board first. In the bottom of the second inning sophomore Ryan Liddle (DuBois/DuBois) would knock a single to a hole in left field, bringing in the Behrend Lions first run of the day. Lake Erie scored twice to lead 2-1 before Behrend responded in the sixth when Zach Sullivan (Oil City/Oil City) hit a single to bring in another run. With the game tied going into the seventh, Lake Erie would jump on-top 3-2. Looking to remain undefeated in AMCC conference play, Tom Pasinski (West Mifflin/West Mifflin) hit a RBI double to bring in teammate Rich Doyle (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny) and send the game into extra innings.
Tied at three going into the bottom
of the ninth, the blue and white took action. Pasinski would reach
base on a Lake Erie error. Josh Fyffe (Fredonia/Sharpsville)
then hit a single that advanced Pasinski to third base.
David Smith (Brockway/Dubois Central Catholic) would end the game with
walk-off RBI single that allowed Pasinski to score and give the Behrend
Lions the win in game one. Pitcher Ben Cain (Venetia/Peters Township)
entered in the eighth inning to relieve Charles Zimoski (Oil City/Oil City).
Cain is credited with the win, giving up only two hits and striking out one
batter.
In game two
Behrend jumped out to a quick lead only to see it slip away as Lake Erie
regained control, capitalizing on Behrend fielding errors to score three
runs in the top of the third inning. The Storm would hold a 4-2 advantage
heading into the bottom of the third.
Behrend came right back in the bottom of the third, as Fyffe started the
rally with a single and advanced to second on a balk. He stole third before
being driven home by Dustin Dubensky’s
(Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney)
RBI double. Geoff Lang (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny) reached first on a
fielder’s choice and eventually scored when Sullivan’s RBI double tied the
game at 4-4.
The offense continued in the top of the fourth inning as Lake Erie tacked on
three more runs. Mario Lombardo came through with a two-RBI single putting
the Storm up 7-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Behrend battled once again, as Jason Bartlett (Erie/Iroquois) and Jon Gray
(State College/State College) got hits before Fyffe drove them in to pull
within one, 7-6. In the bottom of the fifth Lang tripled to lead off the
inning. An error allowed Sullivan to reach first and Lang to score and tie
the game at 7-7.
Joe Breiter (Finleyville/Ringgold)
and Lang both hit safely
to start the bottom of the seventh. Ed Kessler (Bethel Park/Bethel Park)
then walked to load the bases. On a squeeze play Paskinski bunted in the
deciding run for another one-run victory, and Behrend baseball's thirteenth
straight victory.
The blue and white will travel to
Pitt-Greensburg to take on the Bobcats on Saturday, April 12. The
following day, the men will host conference rival Frostburg State at the Behrend
Field. Games are set to begin at 1:00 p.m.