ELMIRA, NY - The Penn State Behrend baseball closed out their regular-season schedule Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep over Elmira, 13-8 and 7-3.
Today marked the first time ever the two teams played one another. The Lions (23-17) struck for 16 hits in game one to power past the Soaring Eagles (16-17). Behrend broke the game open with a three-run third inning and then added four more the following to make it a 7-0 ball game.
In the top of the third, Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) double to left center to bring in the first run of the game. He then came around to score after stealing third and eventually scoring on a wild pitch.
David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Senton-La Salle) drew a walk and later crossed the plate for the third run of the inning.
Kyle Lewis's (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) RBI single in the fourth scored John Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley), who led the inning of with a single to the left side, making in 4-0.
Behrend then strung three-straight hits together to plate three more runs. Bohman made it first and second after singling to left field and then Sada came through with his second double of the game to score Lewis. Boehme closed out the scoring in the fourth with a single to left field that brought in both Bohman and Sada.
After being one-hit through the first four innings of play, Elmira exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Lions lead to one. However, Behrend responded with five runs the following half inning to put the game well out of reach.
Mason McGuire (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) and Ian Taylor (Wexford, PA/Vincentian Academy) both picked up two RBI in the inning with singles to left field and Bohman added one.
Jack Herzing (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) earned the win on the mound after pitching the first 2.2 perfect innings.
In game two, the Lions scored runs in the second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to complete the sweep.
With the game knotted at 2-all, Sada singled to left field, scoring Brandon Bergstrom (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) and breaking the tie in the top of the fifth.
Behrend added one more in the top of the sixth off a Lewis single that scored McGuire, who had reached on a double to left center.
Elmira cut the Lions lead to one with a run in the bottom half of the sixth, making the score 4-3. However, the following half inning, Sada put Behrend up 7-3 in the top of the seventh with a three run homer.
Sada finished the day going 6-for-8 from the dish, six RBI, and four runs scored. McGuire added two hits in game two and scored twice.
Zachary Krivda (McKeesport, PA/KcKeesport Area) earned the win on the mound, allowing six hits and two earned runs through five innings of work.
Ben Ramey (Export, PA/Franklin Regional) added two innings of relief, allowing just three hits and
The Lions will face Mt. Aloysius on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the second round of the AMCC Tournament, hosted by La Roche.
