Lions Get Back On Track With Sweep Of Northwestern

Fort Pierce, FL - The Penn State Behrend baseball team beat Northwestern (MN) 8-2 and 9-3 in a doubleheader in non-conference action on Thursday afternoon.

Ryan Jacobs (Port Vue, PA/South Allegheny) and Mike Moyer (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) teamed up again to give the Lions (4-2) good starting pitching in each game.

Jacobs, pitching on three days rest, threw four innings while only giving up one earned run and striking out four.  Jory Okerlund (Smethport, PA/Smethport) picked up his first collegiate save with three scoreless innings of relief.

Behrend got out to a good start, scoring all eight runs in the first four innings.  Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park), Ryan Geibel (East Butler, PA/Butler), and James Verona (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) each had two hits for the Lions.  Geibel drove in three runs while Kragnes drove in two.  Verona smacked his first two doubles of the year.

In game two, the Behrend offense kept the bats going to back up Moyer.  Geibel continued to swing a hot bat with two more hits.  Tommy Kocur (Erie, PA/McDowell), Ryan Finnegan (Fombell, PA/Riverside), and Evan Bukowski (Washington, PA/Trinity) contributed two hits as well.

Finnegan came up with a clutch two-out two-run single to give the Lions an early 4-0 lead. After Northwestern answered with three runs in the top of the fifth, Behrend came back with three of their own in the fifth and sixth.  Casey Kern (Monroeville, PA, Gateway) shut the door with two innings of scoreless relief.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow at 9 a.m. against Lebanon Valley.