HIRAM, Ohio – The Penn State Behrend baseball team keeps an unblemished record with a pair of non-conference wins over Hiram on Saturday.
Game One:
Score: Penn State Behrend 11, Hiram 1
Records: Penn State Behrend (3-0), Hiram (2-3)
Key Moments:
* The Behrend Lions spoiled the Terriers home opener
* Behrend had two productive innings that generated four runs in each frame
* The Lions took an 11-0 lead before letting in the single run in the bottom of the seventh
* Junior hurler Thomas Zbezinski (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) made his first start of the season, pitching five innings and striking out eight for the win
* Freshman Anthony Slate (Hopewell, PA/Hopewell) went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a double
* Senior Josh Wagner (South Park, PA/South Park) also registered three RBIs on the day and also smacked his fourth double of the season in game one
* Behrend grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top of the second
* With bases loaded, Slate doubled to left center to score senior Christian Pacifico (Somerset, PA/Somerset) and sophomore CJ Weller (Sewickley, PA/North Allegheny) to make it 2-0
* Sophomore Juston Jones (Moon Township, PA/Moon) walked to put a runner on every base again
* Wagner's hit turned into a fielder's choice to score sophomore Colin Harger (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) and Slate for the early lead that never relinquished
* Behrend added two runs in the third, four in the fifth and one more in the sixth
* Junior Zack Bowen (Pittsburgh, PA/Serra Catholic) and Jones also smacked a double in game one
* Senior Noah Schneider (DuBois, PA/DuBois) came in relief for the final two innings and fanned a batter
Game Two:
Score: Penn State Behrend 6, Hiram 5
Records: Penn State Behrend (4-0), Hiram (2-4)
Key Moments:
* Wagner ripped his first home run of the season at the right time, knocking it over the fence in the top of the seventh for the game-winning hit and run
* Wagner made his only hit in game two at the right time to extend his hitting streak to four games
* Junior Jacob Lindow (Bridgeville, PA/Chartiers Valley) improves to 2-0 on the mound, while junior Ryan Weaver (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) picks up the save in relief
* Combined the struck out six and allowed 10 hits resulting in five earned runs
* Bowen had a pair of extra base hits, a double in the fifth and a triple in the opening inning to score a pair of runs for a 2-0 lead
* The Lions never trailed but the Terriers managed to tie the game on two occasions
* In addition to Bowen, senior Braden Paulinellie (DuBois, PA/DuBois) tallied two hits with a double and an RBI in the lead-off spot
* Paulinellie's double to left field at the top of the second inning sent Slate home before Jones' ground out knocked in junior Jake Deitz (Erie, PA/McDowell) for a 4-1 lead
* Hiram tied it with three runs in the bottom of the frame
* Behrend got a run in the fifth and another the final in the seventh off Wagner's homer heroics
Up Next:
* Behrend returns to action on tomorrow at Penn State Altoona. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.