ERIE, Pa. – Nathan Junk (Cabot, PA/Knoch) crushed a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning and the Penn State Behrend bullpen combined to throw four shutout innings of relief as the Lions defeated Bethany 8-2 in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Tournament Semifinals at the Behrend Diamond on Saturday evening.
With the win, Behrend coach Paul Benim earned his 500th career victory.
The Lions (29-14) struck first in the bottom of the second. After Ryan Finnegan (Fombell, PA/Riverside) opened the inning with a double, Chris Bissell (Pittsburgh, PA/Woodland Hills) laid down a sac bunt, advancing Finnegan to third. Matt Wolczko (Apollo, PA/Kiski) then drilled an RBI single to make it a 1-0 game.
The Bison (19-18) wasted no time striking back. With runners on second and third and nobody out in the top of the third, Juls Leto scored on Jordan Ault's RBI groundout to tie the game. Two batters later, Derek Miller hit an RBI single to center that gave Bethany a 2-1 advantage.
Junk then went to work in the bottom of the third. With one out and Alex Margraf (Erie, PA/McDowell) on first after a single, the Behrend first basemen left the yard. Junk launched a two-run homer to right that gave the Lions a 3-2 lead.
Ahead by one in the fifth, Margraf plated a key insurance run on a sac fly that scored John Hlavinka (Venetia, PA/Peters Township). Behrend added another run in the sixth when Finnegan drilled an RBI single to left that scored Brandon Bergstrom (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) and put the Lions ahead, 5-2.
Behrend fortified their advantage in the bottom of the eighth on Finnegan's two-run double and Eric Wehler's (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) pinch-hit, sacrifice fly.
The Bison subsequently went quietly in the ninth as the Lions won, 8-2.
Junk reached base four times for Behrend, and Finnegan went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBI's.
Chad Zurat (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) earned his eighth win of the season for the Lions, striking out four through five strong innings. Justin Rohrer (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) threw three crucial innings of shutout baseball in relief, and Justin Wood (Allegany, NY/Allegany Limestone) hurled a scoreless ninth.
Behrend will battle Gallaudet in the ECAC Division III South Championship game tomorrow, May 18, at 1 p.m. at the Behrend Diamond.
