Behrend Splits With Altoona

ERIE, Pa. - The Penn State Behrend baseball team split with Penn State Altoona Saturday afternoon in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action. Altoona took game one 3-2 before Behrend took a 13-2 win in the nightcap.

Behrend (16-16, 8-4 AMCC) got the bats rolling in the bottom of the first of game two, striking for a run on three hits. Brian Bohman (Erie, PA/McDowell) hustled out a double down the left-field line to put himself in scoring position. A few batters later, David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-La Salle) singled to right center to score Bohman and give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Mason McGuire (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) drove in the second Behrend run with a sacrifice fly to right field. Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) came home to score after leading the inning off with a single to left.

Kyle Lewis (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) helped Behrend extend their lead in the fourth with a clutch two-out line drive up the middle, making it a 3-0 ball game. Bohman crushed his second double of the game to score Lewis, who stole second to get into scoring position.

The Lions plated another run in the bottom of the fifth off the bat of Brandon Bergstrom (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny), who's sac fly to left scored Boehme.

Altoona (14-17, 5-5 AMCC) managed to bring home a run in both the fifth and seventh innings to bring it to a 6-2 game. However, Behrend exploded for six runs on five hits in the bottom half of the seventh to put the game well out of reach.

Phil Myers picked up his fifth win of the season after tossing six innings, giving up seven hits and striking out six. Brady Kress (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley), Ben Ramey (Export, PA/Franklin Regional), and Brandon Smail (Apollo, PA/Kiski Area) combined for a hitless three innings in relief.

McGuire finished game two going a perfect 4-for-4 from the dish while Bohman and Lewis each added three hits.

Sada and Boehme each went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

In game one, Altoona struck first, plating runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Jared Dailey cruised through the first three innings on the bump, not allowing a hit.

In the bottom of the fourth, Boehme broke up the no-hitter with a rip to left center to bring in the Lions first run of the game. Kyle Lewis (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) led the inning off by drawing a walk and then moved to second after Bohman got a sacrifice bunt down the first base side.

Behrend went on to add one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but Altoona was able to stop the Lions late rally to take the 3-2 win.

The Lions will be back in action on Monday when they travel to Fredonia for a single game beginning at 4 p.m.