Behrend Completes Sweep of Hilbert With Nicely Walk-Off Single; Lang Earns 100th Career Strikeout
It took 11 innings in game two on Wednesday, but the Penn State Behrend baseball team was able to complete a sweep of Hilbert.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hilbert
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 3 |
|
Penn State Behrend
|
0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | X | 10 | 9 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final (11) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hilbert
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 2 |
|
Penn State Behrend
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 |
ERIE, Pa. – It took 11 innings in game two on Wednesday, but the Penn State Behrend baseball team was able to complete a sweep of Hilbert.
Game One: Penn State Behrend 10, Hilbert 7
Records: Penn State Behrend (13-6, 3-0 AMCC), Hilbert (10-12, 2-3 AMCC)
Key Moments:
* The Hawks got on the board first in the first inning on an RBI double from Jack Duffek
* Behrend responded with three runs in the second inning on a pair of RBI singles by Dylan Barnes (Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills) and Cayden Turner (Stoystown, PA/North Star) and an RBI double from Tyler Burick (Erie, PA/Harbor Creek)
* The Lions extended its lead with seven more runs in the next three innings
* The big blow for Behrend came in the bottom of the third with a three-run double off the bat of Hank Shaffer (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown)
* Hilbert attempted a comeback attempt in the bottom the seventh with back-to-back runs batted in by Nolan Evans and Alex Ellison, but senior reliever Joe Lang (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) locked down the game one win for Behrend by getting the final two outs of the inning
* Along with earning his fourth save of the season, Lang struck out his 100th career hitter
* Evan Bromley (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) picked up his third win of the year, tossing five innings to go along with three earned runs and four strikeouts
* At the plate, Shaffer and Silvio Ionadi (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum), each tallied two hits with Shaffer driving in a game-high three runs
* For Hilbert, Evans, Joey Haynes, and Harley Hoag registered two hits apiece
Game Two: Penn State Behrend 6, Hilbert 5
Records: Penn State Behrend (14-6, 4-0 AMCC), Hilbert (10-13, 2-4 AMCC)
Key Moments:
* The Hawks scored the first run of the game once again, this time two runs in the second inning
* An Alex Ellison RBI single gave Hilbert a 3-0 advantage after three
* Behrend knotted the score at three with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth, thanks runs batted in by Ionadi, Mac Ciocco (Venetia, PA/Peters Township), and Daniel Boehme (Peters Township, PA/Seton LaSalle)
* Hilbert retook the lead, 5-3, with two runs in the next two innings
* A Paul Connolly (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) sacrifice fly in the seventh inning would cut the Lions deficit one (5-4)
* Hilbert threatened to tack on more runs in the top of the ninth with runners on second and third and one out, but Behrend reliever Ethan Tinker (Pittsburgh, PA/Avonworth) got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts
* Connolly came up clutch in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI single to center to tie the score at five and force extras
* A scoreless 10th inning and top of the 11th would set the stage for Thomas Nicely (Delmont, PA/Franklin Regional) to deliver a walk-off two-out RBI single
* Tinker came through out of the bullpen with 2.2 innings, only allowing one hit and striking out a season-high four to help the Lions secure the doubleheader sweep and their 14th win of the season
* In game two, Ciocco, Boehme, and Ionadi each finished with two hits
* John Watson went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in for the Hawks
Up next:
* The Lions will travel to La Roche for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12. Game times are slated for 1 and 4 p.m. in Pittsburgh