ERIE, Pa. – Three homers in the second inning, ignite the Penn State Behrend baseball team to a 12-2 win over conference opponent D'Youville, Friday. Game-two, the men posted a 20-6 score to sweep the series.
The wins not only signified defeating the Spartans, but game two marked the 400th coaching victory at Behrend for head coach Paul Benim.
Up 3-0, with one out in the second inning, Geoff Lang cracked a ball to deep left center. Hustling around the bases, the senior outfielder went on to score the seasons first inside the park home run, 3-0. Batting cleanup, Matt Bittner touched each base after he went yard over the left-field wall. Completing the back-to-back-to-back homers for the Lions (15-6, 7-2) was Blake Pavlik. Pavlik reached on triple then scored on a throwing error from the Spartans (2-13, 0-7) shortstop, 5-0.
Ryan Zamiskie was hitting on all cylinders tonight. The senior hurler sat down seven batters and allowed only two runs on four hits in seven innings of work. Zaminskie's arm carried the men to a 12-2 win.
Pavlik lead the Lions in the RBI category, the right fielder, ushered in four runs for the blue and white on four hits. Behrend would also swipe four bags in the game-one victory.
Game two was much like the first, the Lions (16-6, 8-2) beat the Spartans (2-14, 0-8), 20-6.
Ed Kessler and Evan Bukowskie each hit 3-for-4 on the day with four RBI's and two RBI's, respectively, to help earn head coach Paul Benim's 400th career victory.
As a team, Behrend tallied 13 hits and 17 RBI's while stealing seven bags, four belonging to Ryan Kragnes (2) and Joe Paterniti (2).
The Lions posted two huge innings in route to the 20-6 win. In the second, the men lit up the scoreboard with seven runs and again in the fourth, with eight.
Another highlight for Behrend was Josh Barbara who hit his first collegiate dinger. The rookie infielder's pinch-hit solo shot scored the final run of the game in the fifth inning.
Jay Condit earned the win after going four innings with three earned runs. Matt Parnes chipped in three innings, while striking out three batters.
The Lions next scheduled match is Sunday, April 17 at 1 p.m. against hosting Pitt-Greensburg. The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference game will take place on Pullman field.
