WAYNESBURG, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team split with Waynesburg on Monday afternoon in non-conference action. The Lions fell in game one 5-3 before bouncing back to take game two, 6-2.
With the split, Behrend wrapped up their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record.
In game one, the Lions (8-6) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead through three innings. Freshmen Matt DiDiano (Export, PA/Franklin Regional) and Tommy Kocur (Erie, PA/McDowell) both singled home runs in the second.
After Waynesburg tied the game at 3-all in the fifth, the Yellow Jackets put together a wild inning to take the lead. Waynesburg laid down three bunts in the sixth to complete the comeback and secure the victory.
Following the tough loss in game one, Behrend came back strong in game two. In the first inning, Ryan Geibel (East Butler, PA/Butler) hit an RBI double to deep left to plate the first Lions' run. Evan Bukowski (Washington, PA/Trinity) followed with an RBI single and suddenly Behrend was up 2-0 early.
With the scored knotted at 2-all in the fifth, Geibel and Bukowski struck again. Geibel hit a two run triple to give Behrend a 4-2 lead. Bukowski then crushed a double to score Geibel. The Lions tacked on one more run but that was all starting pitcher Jay Condit (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) needed. Condit threw a complete game in his first start of the year, allowing two runs and scattering six hits to pick up the win.
The duo of Geibel and Bukowski led Behrend with eight hits and five RBIs on the day. Kocur contributed two hits in game one for the Lions.
Behrend will host Fredonia St. on Thursday in their home opener at 2 p.m.