Baseball Slides into Spring Opener Against Drew
The Penn State Behrend baseball team opened their 2016 season splitting their first two games against Drew University Sunday afternoon.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
|
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0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | X | 8 | 12 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
|
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
FORT PIERCE, Fl. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team opened their 2016 season splitting their first two games against Drew University Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers (2-2) got out to a hot start in game one. They scored three runs in the top of the first. The Lions (1-1) battled back however, thanks to a huge fifth inning where they plated five runs and secured an 8-7 victory over Drew.
John Hlavinka (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) got plunked as the leadoff hitter in the inning to put a man on. After a fly out, Brandon Bergstrom (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Back-to-back singles by David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-Le Salle) and Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) drove in Hlavinka and Bergstrom to start the scoring rally.
William Kirkpatrick (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum) singled in Boehme and later came around to score with Sada as the go-ahead, and eventual game-winning run, on a Alex Margraf (Erie, PA/McDowell) two out single.
Eric Mikulan (Pittsburgh, PA/Hampton) picked up the win on the mound, throwing the fifth inning. Brandon Smail (Apollo, PA/Kiski Area) came in to pitch two scoreless innings, shutting the door on Drew and picking up his first save of the season.
Boehme finished the game going 3-for-3, scoring two runs. Sada and Bowers each went 2-for-3 with Sada scoring twice and driving in two more. Kirkpatrick added three RBIs as well.
Game two came down to the final inning to decide who was pulling out the win. To leadoff the bottom of the seventh in a 4-all tie, the Ranger's Eric DiPietro reached first on an error. He then moved up on a sacrifice bunt and later scored the game-winner on another error.
To get to that point in the contest, Brian Bohman (Erie, PA/McDowell) hit a game-tying solo home run in the top of the fifth, adding his second RBI of the game. Kyle Hunt (Russell, PA/Calvary Chapel Christian) also tallied a RBI, going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Alex Hadjuk (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) got the start and pitched three and two-thirds innings, generating a no decision. Phil Myers (DuBois, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) ended with the loss in two and two-thirds innings of work.
Behrend is back on the diamond tomorrow against Wilkes with a 1 p.m. first pitch.