Late Pair of Runs Lifts Behrend Over Aloysius

MCCANDLESS, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team opened Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) post-season play Friday afternoon, defeating Mt. Aloysius 5-3.

Mason McGuire (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) ripped a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth to break a 3-all tie and give the Lions (24-17) the 5-3 lead.

Kyle Lewis (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) led the bottom of the eighth off by drawing a walk. Brian Bohman (Erie, PA/McDowell) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Lewis to second and then Sada walked. After moving up a base on a fielder's choice, Lewis and Sada then came around to score on the base hit up the middle by McGuire, making it a 5-3 game.

Justin Rohrer (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) settled in on the mound for Behrend as the game progressed. He retired 20 of the final 23 batters and gave up just one hit in the final six innings to close out the game. Rohrer earns his fifth win of the season after throwing a complete game five-hitter, striking out eight.

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the No. 2 seed Lions knotted the game at one in the bottom of the second. Ryan Hamm (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) struck a ball to left center to score McGuire from second base. McGuire was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then stole second to put himself in scoring position.

Mt. Aloysius (17-25) jumped back on top the following inning with two solo home runs, taking a 3-1 third-inning lead.

Scott Sada (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) led off the top of the fourth with a double in the left center gap and then stole third. David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-La Salle) then hit a sac fly to bring in Sada and make it a 3-2 ball game.

Brandon Bergstrom (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) came to the plate in the seventh and drove a fastball over the left-field fence, tying the game 3-all.

Behrend will face the winner of La Roche and Pitt-Bradford tomorrow at 12 p.m.