ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team picked up a sweep over Bethany on Monday afternoon, winning 9-2 in game one followed by a 6-3 victory in game two.
After the Bisons (4-13) scored runs in each of the first two innings, the Lions (9-8) held them off the board for the remainder of the game.
In the bottom of the first, David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-La Salle) led things off for Behrend with a single to left center field, scoring Ian Taylor (Wexford, PA/Vincentian Academy) from third. Then, after Boehme advanced to second on a wild pitch, Ryan Hamm (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) doubled to left field to give the Lions their second run of the inning.
Bethany evened the score at 2-all the next inning. After a couple lead-off doubles, Jacob Miller flied out to right field that scored a runner from third base.
From there, the Lions went to work. Behrend scored at least one run in each of the final four innings.
They registered two runs in the third, followed by three in the fourth from a Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) homerun.
A walk for Taylor and a John Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) single put two runners on with Sada up to bat. After the Bisons made a pitching change, on the very first pitch thrown, Sada smacked a three-run bomb to left field.
The Lions would go on to add a couple more runs in the game to end the score 9-2.
Boehme, Taylor, Brittner, Hamm, and Braden Paulinellie (DuBois, PA/DuBois) all went 2-for-3 in the victory. Sada batted 2-for-4, recording three RBIs while also scoring twice.
Phil Myers (DuBois, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) threw a complete game on the mound for the Lions. In his seven innings of work, he gave up two runs on five hits while also fanning six batters.
In game two, Behrend's four-run third inning gave them the edge needed to defeat Bethany for the second time of the day.
After the Lions tabbed a pair of runs through the first two innings, the Bisons responded with two runs of their one to tie the game.
However, in the bottom of the third, Behrend ran away with it. A lead-off single from Brittner, followed by a single from Sada, put the Lions in a good position. Boehme stepped up to the plate and laced the third-consecutive single to score Brittner. Hamm added to the rally with a bases-clearing double.
Hamm was able to score from a wild pitch to end the score for Behrend, putting them up 6-2.
A Bisons comeback was looking promising when Kalaen Welch and Kevin Marthinsen hit back-to-back doubles to open the sixth. However, Alex Hajduk (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) kept his cool and was able to record three consecutive outs to get the Lions out of a jam to end the inning, and essentially the game.
Similar to Myers, Hajduk threw a complete game, notching his third win to hold an undefeated record on the season thus far. He struck out eight batters while giving up three runs on six hits.
Brittner went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate in game two, tallying three singles. Sada also notched three singles in the game.
Behrend will be on the road this Thursday when the face-off against Allegheny for a non-conference matchup. The game is set to begin at 4 p.m.