Baseball Uses Two Walk-Off Wins in Sweep

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's baseball team needed extra innings in both of their games Sunday afternoon, but walked away with 2-1 and 4-3 walk-off wins over Mount Aloysius in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action.

In an eight-inning first game, Nathan Noe (Albion, PA/Northwestern) singled in Johnathan Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) from second with two outs to win the Lions (21-12, 10-4 AMCC) the game.

Then in another eight inning game two, Matt Wolczko (Apollo, PA/Kiski Area) roped a single through the left side that scored Noe with the bases loaded and two outs to be the one in the middle of the celebratory pile on first base.

Sean Rutkosky (Harborcreek, PA/Harbor Creek) and Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Sagertown) combined to throw a six-hit gem in game one. Rutkosky tossed the first 4.1, surrendering one hit, two walks and a run. Sada came in for the final 3.2 scoreless innings and picked up his second win of the season. He gave up three hits, two walks and struck out two.

Sada also led the game off with a single and came around to score on during John Hlavinka's (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) at bat after him. He stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. On his advancement, the Mountie (20-16, 7-7 AMCC) catcher threw the ball into left field and Sada scored.

Mount Aloysius got a run in the fifth and Sada shut the door until Noe could hit is walk off single. Wolczko went 2-for-2 in the game and Brian Bohman (Erie, PA/McDowell) went 2-for-3.

In game two, Hlavinka reached on an error and got into scoring position on the overthrow. Bohman stepped up and singled up the middle to start the first inning with a 1-0 Behrend lead.

The Mounties scored two in the third after three straight hits. A single, double and two-RBI single gave them their first lead of the game and of the day.

Wolczko walked to start the fifth and Zach Murray (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) singled next. With aggressive base running, Wolczko moved to third on the base knock and Murray advanced to second.

Kyle Lewis (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line that scored Wolczko to tie the game at 2-all. William Kirkpatrick (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum) then pinch hit for Hlavinka and hit an RBI single to center to score Murray and take the lead.

Mount then tied the game in the top of the sixth, but Wolczko's walk-off single ended the game in dramatic fashion in the eighth.

Eric Mikulan (Pittsburgh, PA/Hampton) and Zachary Krivda (McKeesport, PA/McKeesport Area) combined for the second win of the day. Mikulan threw the first three, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out two. Krivda got his fourth win in 5.0 innings of relief with four hits, one run, a walk and a strikeout.

The Lions are back in action for their third straight day when they take on Fredonia at home tomorrow at 4 p.m.