PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team battled in an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Semifinal game against Pitt-Greensburg, falling 8-3 on Thursday afternoon.
The Lions (24-16) gained a 2-1 advantage after a two-run third inning, but gave up six runs in the next couple innings that lead to a Bobcat (25-11) deficit they could not overcome.
Greensburg got on the board early, notching a run in the first inning coming from a Penn State Behrend throwing error.
The Lions got that run back by scoring a pair of runs in the third. Zach Murray (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) got the inning going for Behrend with a single to second base. The next batter, Ian Taylor (Wexford, PA/Vincentian Academy), doubled down the left field like to put Murray on third base and in a good scoring position. After Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) sent Murray home from a Bobcat error, David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-La Salle) roped a single to right center that drove in Taylor from third, making the score 2-1 in favor of Behrend.
However, Greensburg began to catch fire in the fourth inning and kept it rolling through the fifth.
In the fourth, a couple singles from Greensburg and a couple errors on Behrend's defensive side led to the Bobcats to score three runs, holding a 4-2 lead through four.
After the Lions scored a run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to one, the Bobcats extended their lead with a three-run fifth inning.
With the bases-loaded, Ian Hart was hit by a pitch that drove in the first run of the inning. Then, Daniel Kiester singled through the right side that sent another Bobcat in. The third and final run of the inning came from an infield groundout.
Behrend continued to battle throughout the rest of the game, but could not overcome the pitching of Matt Mish, who threw a complete game with 11 strikeouts.
The Bobcats added one more run in the bottom of the eighth, ending the final at 8-3.
Taylor led the way for Behrend, going 3-for-4 with a double and triple. Sada was held hitless in the game, snapping his 16-game hitting streak.
On the mound for Behrend, Jack Herzing (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) is registered with the loss. He pitched for 4.1 innings, giving up five hits and six earned runs while fanning four.
The Lions will battle in an elimination game against Penn State Altoona on Friday morning. The game is set for 10 a.m. at La Roche.
