Lions Sweep Altoona in AMCC Action

ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team swept Penn State Altoona by scores of 5-1 and 10-3 in an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

In game one, the Lions (13-5, 4-0 AMCC) put up two runs in both the second and third to help pitcher Justin Wood (Allegany, NY/Allegany Limestone) pick up his second victory of the season.

Alex Margraf (Erie, PA/McDowell) drove in Behrend's first run in the second with an RBI groundout.  Josh Barbara (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) followed with an RBI single to give the Lions a 2-0 lead. 

Altoona answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Lions put two more on the board in the third.  After Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) came around to score, senior Matt Bittner (Lancaster, NY/St. Mary's) crushed a solo home run to put Behrend up 4-1.  Margraf helped the Lions add to the lead with an RBI single in the sixth for an insurance run.

Wood pitched 5.2 innings, striking out seven with just three hits and one unearned run.  Chad Zurat (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) earned the save for Behrend.  Zurat got the Lions out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and sat Altoona down in order in the seventh.

A big fifth inning in game two helped Behrend take home the sweep, improving their AMCC record to 4-0.

With the score tied at 1-1, the Lions erupted for six runs in the top of the fifth inning to gain control.  Evan Bukowski (Washington, PA/Trinity) and Bittner each drove in runs to get the offense going.  With two outs in the inning, Matt Wolczko (Apollo, PA/Kiski) ripped a two-run single, giving Behrend a 7-1 lead.  The Lions added a single run in the sixth and two in the seventh, giving Mike Moyer (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) a little more breathing room on the mound.

Moyer went the distance for Behrend, striking out four hitters en route to picking up his third win of the year.

Vinny Rice (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley) had a great day on offense for the Lions, going 5-for-8 at the plate in the two games.  Margraf's two RBIs led Behrend in game one while Bukowski, Bittner, and Wolczko each drove in two in the nightcap.  Kragnes and Jordan Weinzierl (St. Marys, PA/St. Marys) both had two hits in the second game.  Eric Wehler (St. Marys, PA/Elk County Catholic) came through for the Lions with a pinch-hit RBI single in game two.

Behrend's six-game road trip will continue tomorrow with a doubleheader at Pitt-Bradford.  Game one is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.