ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team punched their ticket to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship on Saturday with a win over No. 2 Mount Aloysius. Jake Deitz (Erie, PA/McDowell) helped send the Lions to the conference title game with a two-run single to walk off the Mounties in the bottom of the ninth, plating the tying and winning run.
Final Score: No. 1 Penn State Behrend 5, No. 2 Mount Aloysius 4
Records: No. 1 Penn State Behrend 27-11, No. 2 Mount Aloysius 24-13
Key Moments:
* With Behrend trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Deitz knocked a single through the middle to score John Berger (Wexford, PA/Pine-Richland) and Hunter Jamison (Allison Park, PA/Shaler Area) for the walk-off winner
* Both Berger and Jamison led off the innings with back-to-back singles to set the stage for the dramatic finish
* The Lions led 3-2 in the top of the ninth, but a two-RBI double gave the Mounties the lead in the final frame
* Mount Aloysius struck first with a solo homerun to open the scoring in the third inning
* Berger hit a single through the right side to plate Juston Jones (Moon Township, PA/Moon) as the first run for Behrend and Mac Ciocco (Venetia, PA/Petters Township) would also score on the play via error to give the Lions their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth.
* With the game tied at two in the seventh, Berger led off with a walk and was advanced to second via sac bunt by Jamison
* Donny Watters (Perry, OH/Perry) came in to pinch hit with the go-ahead run in scoring position and drove a line drive down the right field line to plate Berger for a run-scoring double
* Jeff Zick (Moon, PA/Our Lady of Sacred/Heart) got the start and pitched into the seventh, going 6.2 innings while limiting the Mounties to just two runs and struck out eight
Noteworthy:
* Jones collected the 100th hit of his career during his first at bat and tied for the team lead with two knocks, both being doubles
* Berger collected two singles and came around to score twice
* Zack Bowen (Pittsburgh, PA/Serra Catholic) received the win, pitching 2.1 innings in relief
Up Next:
* Behrend will take on Mount Aloysius in the AMCC Championship beginning at 11 a.m.
* Due to the double-elimination format, the Lions can clinch the conference title with a win with the Mounties needing to win two to be crowned champions
* If a second game is necessary, first pitch for game two is scheduled for 2 p.m.
