ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball squad split with Hilbert Monday afternoon in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action. Hilbert took game one 2-1 before Behrend rallied back to take a 13-1 victory in the nightcap.
Despite not registering a single hit in the entire game, the Hawks (6-12, 3-3) were able to capitalize on a couple errors late against the Lions (10-9, 1-3 AMCC) to pick up a conference victory, while also snapping Behrend's 36-game winning streak over Hilbert.
Game one was a pitching battle between the Lion's Jack Herzing (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) and the Hawk's Zachary Crane, both of whom threw a complete game.
Despite the loss, Herzing threw a no-hitter where he struck out a season-best 15 of the total 21 batters he faced. He retired the side on three separate occasions in this matchup, and is now only 11 strike-outs away from having the most career strikeouts in program history.
Crane, on the other hand, allowed just four hits on the seven-innings of work while also striking out one.
In the top of the sixth with the game scoreless, errors became the difference in the game. After the leadoff batter was walked, a throwing error to first base advanced both runners into scoring positions for the Hawks. The next batter, Tristian Aldinger, reached base on a fielder's choice, and was able to advance to second from a throwing error to home plate which brought in both Hilbert runners for a 2-0 lead.
The Lions tried to mount a comeback in the sixth after a Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) double to right field. After advancing to third by an error, David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-La Salle) picked up an RBI with a ground out to the shortstop. Behrend was not able to add another run in the game, falling in the first game of the doubleheader by a score of 2-1.
However, The Lions got the bats rolling in the bottom of the first of game two, striking for three runs on five hits.
An Ian Taylor (Wexford, PA/Vincentian Academy) lead-off single followed by back-to-back bunts from both John Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) and Sada loaded the bases for Behrend.
Boehme stepped up and hit into a fielder's choice that got Sada out at second, but was able to score Taylor from third. A couple of batters later, Mason McGuire (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) doubled down to left field that sent Brittner home and Boehme to third. Justin Foreman (Oakdale, PA/South Fayette) added to the rally with a two-out infield single that scored Boehme, giving the Lions a 3-0 lead after one.
McGuire helped Behrend extend their lead in the third with another double to left field to score Sada from third. Foreman made the score 5-0 after reaching base on a fielder's choice that scored Boehme.
The Lions continued the firepower by adding one run in the fourth, four in the fifth, and then two in the sixth to end the scoring for Behrend.
The Hawks did not post their first hit of the day until the fourth inning of game two when Connor Duck hit a single down the left field line. Hilbert scored its lone run of the game in the top of the eighth from an Eric Flores single.
Alex Hajduk (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) picked up the win on the mound for Behrend in game two, extending his record to a perfect 4-0 on the season. He threw for seven innings and only allowed three hits, while also fanning a career-high 11 batters.
Sada went a perfect 6-for-6 on the day with five singles and a double. Boehme and McGuire both went 2-for-3 in game two, while Taylor batted 3-for-6.
The Lions will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Medaille for another doubleheader AMCC matchup. The games are set for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.