SALEM, Va. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team split their two games Saturday on day one of their trip to Roanoke. They fell in game one 13-7 and took game two by a score of 5-4.
The Maroons (15-8) had one huge inning in game one that propelled them to victory. They plated 11 runs in the bottom of the third which was the deciding factor in the matchup.
The Lions (10-4) came out firing in the first, scoring three runs on three hits and an error. Ian Taylor (Wexford, PA/Vincentian Academy) singled to knock in David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-Le Salle) and Brian Bohman (Erie, PA/McDowell) to start the game with a 3-0 advantage.
Roanoke scored two in the bottom of the first to narrow the gap and then recorded eight hits that drove in 11 runs to take a sizable 10-run lead at 13-3 in the third.
The Maroons would not score for the rest of the game however. Behrend knocked in a run in the sixth and the seventh inning, as well as two in the ninth, but they were unable to string together an inning that would compare to the 11-run third of Roanoke.
Taylor led the team with two RBI and Jonathan Dippold (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic), John Hlavinka (Venetia, PA/Peters Township), John Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) and Taylor each had two hits for the Lions.
Zachary Krivda (McKeesport, PA/McKeesport Area) picked up his first loss of the season and Eric Mikulan (Pittsburgh, PA/Hampton) threw 5.1 innings of five-hit relief to give Behrend a chance at the plate.
The Lions would fight their way to a victory in game two. Phil Myers (DuBois, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) continued his strong performance on the mound with a 5.2 inning outing, giving up three runs and struck out three. Brandon Smail (Apollo, PA/Kiski Area) threw 3.1 innings in relief and picked up his first win of the season on two hits and three K's.
Smail was the only sub for the Lions where their starters racked up nine hits and five runs. Hlavinka, Boehme and Alex Margraf (Erie, PA/McDowell) each had two hits, while Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) and Boehme each record two RBIs.
The Maroons scored two runs in the third and one in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead going into the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Lions plated four runs, which would eventually be enough to give them the win. After Taylor got hit by a pitch, Zach Murray (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) singled and Sada singled to knock them both in to start the scoring rally.
Bohman and Boehme hit back-to-back singles that each scored a run to give Behrend a 5-3 lead. Smail gave up a run in the ninth but was able to seal the deal for the Lions and secure a split on the day.
Behrend plays Roanoke for a final time tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for noon.
