Lions Combine For 18 Runs in Home-Opening Sweep

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team combined for 18 runs on 27 hits in a home-opening doubleheader sweep over Franciscan Saturday afternoon.

Game One: Penn State Behrend 9, Franciscan 4
Records: Penn State Behrend (9-6), Franciscan (6-10)

Key Moments:

* The Barons struck first with a run apiece in the first two innings
* Behrend responded with five runs on six hits in the bottom of the second inning
* Adam Cooper (State College, PA/State College) hit his first home run of the season, while David Gibson (North East, PA/North East) and Mac Ciocco (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) recorded RBI singles in the inning
* The Lions tacked on two more runs in the third inning, thanks to a two-run single from Silvio Ionadi (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum)
* A Nicholas Peffer two-run double cut Franciscan's deficit to three (7-4)
* Senior Daniel Boehme (Peters Township, PA/Seton LaSalle) drove in a run with a double down the left field line in the sixth and was followed by an error from the Barons resulting in another run to secure Behrend's 9-4 game one win
* Starter Alec Greenblatt (Oliveburg, PA/Punxsutawney) tossed five innings to go along with three earned runs and three strikeouts in his first victory of season on the mound for the Lions
* Jack Baumgartel (Sewickley, PA/North Allegheny) and Andrew Bredel (Clinton, PA/Burgettstown) each threw a hitless inning out of the bullpen
* Sophomore Dylan Barnes (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills) tallied a game-high three hits, while Cooper registered two runs batted in
* For Franciscan, Josiah Bodie delivered two game one hits

Game Two: Penn State Behrend 9, Franciscan 2
Records: Penn State Behrend (10-6), Franciscan (6-11)

Key Moments:

* Another five-run inning propelled the Lions in game two, this time it occurred in the bottom of the first
* Boehme began the scoring with an RBI double and was followed by a Thomas Nicely (Delmont, PA/Franklin Regional) sacrifice fly and Barnes RBI single
* The first inning was capped off by a two-run single from Cooper
* This was enough for game two starter Evan Bromley (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park), who hurled five innings with five strikeouts and his lone run surrendered was on an RBI single off the bat of Peffer
* Nicely got the run back for the Lions in the fourth with a single up the middle to score Cayden Turner (Stoystown, PA/North Star)
* Ciocco and Boehme notched back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth inning to help grab the doubleheader sweep
* Junior Sawyer Prince (Shinglehouse, PA/Port Allegany) pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the sixth
* At the plate for Behrend, Boehme finished 3-for-4 with two runs batted in
* Peffer and Colin Killian each claimed two hits in the second game on Saturday

Up next:

* The Lions will begin conference play with a doubleheader at Pitt-Bradford on Tuesday, April 1. Game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.