ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team split with Pitt-Greensburg Sunday afternoon in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action. Greensburg took game one 2-1 before Behrend took a 21-12 win in the nightcap, giving head coach Paul Benim his 600th career victory.
In the second game, the Bobcats (17-10, 10-4 AMCC) got off to a quick start by scoring six runs in the first two innings. However, the Lions (16-12, 7-5 AMCC) slowly nipped at the lead through four innings before exploding for nine runs in the fifth to secure a comfortable lead.
With the game at 6-all, four consecutive singles from Ryan Hamm (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny), Justin Foreman (Oakdale, PA/South Fayette), Braden Paulinellie (DuBois, PA/DuBois), and Zach Murray (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) gave Behrend a 10-6 lead with only out.
Mason McGuire (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair), Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown), and David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-La Salle) added to the firepower as well. With Tanner Cicchini (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) on first, McGuire singled up the middle to put two runners on for the Lions. The next batter, Sada smacked a double off the fence in left field that cleared the bases. Boehme then stepped up and roped a single up the middle to send Sada home for another Behrend run.
Hamm ended the scoring for the Lions after hitting a single through the right side that scored Boehme from second, making the score 15-6 after five.
The Lions and Bobcats each scored six runs in the remaining three innings on the match, ending the final score 21-12.
Sada batted 5-for-6 in game two, notching three RBIs and scoring four times. Hamm went 4-for-6 while McGuire batted 3-for-6 from the plate. Boehme registered a team-high five RBIs.
Alex Hajduk (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) continues to hold a perfect record on the mound, throwing six innings and fanning six batters in his sixth win of the season. Brady Kress (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) pitched for three innings, giving up four hits while striking out one.
In game one, it was a pitching duel between Jack Herzing (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) and the Bobcats Matt Mish.
Mish threw a complete game, allowing just one run on six hits while also striking out three. As for Herzing, he gave up four hits for one earned run in a complete game on the mound. He struck out eight batters and walked five.
Greensburg scored their first run of the game from a passed ball in the top of the second inning.
In the sixth, Daniel Kiester doubled to left field that brought in a runner to give the Bobcats a 2-0 advantage.
Behrend tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth when John Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) singled to center field to send Paulinellie home, but it wasn't enough, ending the game 2-1.
Brittner and Sada both went 2-for-3 in the game, while Foreman and Paulinellie notched the other two hits for Behrend.
The Lions will be back in action tomorrow for a non-conference matchup against Fredonia beginning at 4 p.m. on the Behrend diamond.