Nine-Run Seventh Inning Propels Lions Past Pioneers; Behrend Baseball Advances To AMCC Championship

CRESSON, Pa. – A nine-run seventh inning carried the Penn State Behrend baseball team to a 15-4 victory over No. 4 Alfred State on the second day of the championship round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Baseball Tournament.

Score: Penn State Behrend 15, Alfred State 4
Records: Penn State Behrend (27-11-1), Alfred State (18-24)

Key Moments:

* Alfred State pushed across two runs in the top of the second to take an early lead
* The Lions responded in the bottom of the third with an RBI single from Mac Ciocco (Venetia, PA/Peters Township)
* David Gibson (North East, PA/North East) gave Behrend its first lead of the day with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth. Thomas Nicely (Delmont, PA/Franklin Regional) added another run in the inning with an RBI double to make it 5-2 in favor of Behrend
* The Pioneers cut their deficit to one (5-4) with a two-run homer off the bat of Joshua Gardner in the top of the seventh
* However, Behrend extended its lead to 10 (14-4) with nine runs on eight hits in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by six RBI singles from Ciocco, Nicely, Daniel Boehme (Peters Township, PA/Seton LaSalle), Chase Palmer (Brookville, PA/Brookville), Dylan Barnes (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills), and Anthony Slate (Hopewell, PA/Hopewell)
* In the eighth inning, Trent Burchanowski (Clymer, NY/Clymer Central) capped off Behrend's win with an RBI single of his own
* Four Lions recorded three hits in the contest: Barnes, Boehme, Ciocco, and Nicely. Ciocco also drove in a game-high three RBIs
* Starter Ethan Tinker (Pittsburgh, PA/Avonworth) threw 6.1 innings to earn the win on the mound for Behrend, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out six. Jake Manendo (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) came on in relief, tossing 1.2 shutout innings with two strikeouts, while Will Jamison (Shaler, PA/Shaler) pitched a scoreless ninth inning
* As a team, the Lions combined for 18 hits to score their 15 runs
* Alfred State was led by Connor Kiefer's two hits and Gardner's two runs batted in

Up Next:

* Behrend advances to the AMCC Championship tomorrow beginning at 11 a.m. and will take on the winner of Alfred State and No. 6 La Roche.