Penn State Behrend Baseball Continues Success With 7-6 Victory

The Penn State Behrend Lions baseball team continued their success with a 7-6 victory over Thomas More College in a game that came down to the ninth inning.  Behrend is now 2-0 in the Mideast Regional and will play tommorow at 1 p.m.

If Behrend wants to continue its successful run in the regional they will have to get by top-seed Heidelberg at 1 p.m. Friday.

"There's no doubt we're enjoying it, but I mentioned to the team that we still have to be learning. We still need to learn so we can continue to develop these young athletes," said Behrend coach Paul Benim. "We don't want to get caught up in the euphoria of being 2-0."

Senior starter Steve Miller (Union City/Union City) (6-3) provided the Behrend Lions some spark with a gutsy performance. He scattered eight eights and walked six, but held the Saints (32-15) scoreless for five innings after allowing two runs in the first.

"Our goal was to try to come out here and grind one out," Benim said. "(Thomas More's Grant Lewis) threw a nice game. It was fortunate for us to have a senior step up and give us the game of his life."

Miller started the ninth inning, but he gave up back-to-back hits to Ryan Darner and Nick Zeiser and then walked Brandon Nutini before being pulled for Andy Kountz (Bethel park/Bethel Park).

"Steve has made good starts and given us a chance to win, but he doesn't normally go deep. It was his day and he earned it," Benim said. "I had to go out once and get him straight. I told him 'Your mom and dad drove all the way here to see you do well, so you need to give it up today for yourself and your teammates.' "

With Behrend leading 7-3, Kountz got the first batter out before walking home a run. Benim then turned to Jay Condit (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) to finish off the game. He struck out the first batter, but then gave up a two-run single to Marty Kersting that shrunk the Behrend Lions' lead to just one run.

But Condit closed it out for his first save of the season when he induced Sam Schmeltzer to fly out to center.  For Behrend, Evan Bukowski (Washington/Trinity) was 3-for-4, scoring two runs, Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park/Bethel Park) also scored twice, while Jon Gray (State College/State College) and Ryan Liddle (DuBois/DuBois) each had a pair of RBIs.

Behrend is now 31-15 overall and will play the top-seeded Heidelberg University tommorow at 1 p.m. at Don Schaly Stadium.