ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. – Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team completed the weekend sweep of United East foe St. Mary's (Md.) with a pair of 6-2 road wins on Saturday afternoon, April 8. With the victories, the Lions extended their recent win streak to 14 in a row.

GAME 1

Josh Berzonski allowed just one earned run and struck out eight batters while Matt Parks homered and added a triple in a 6-2 win for Penn State Harrisburg (20-5, 11-0 United East) over the Seahawks (6-11, 4-6 United East) in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Parks started the game's scoring with a solo home run in the top of the opening frame but St. Mary's (Md.) took advantage of an error in the bottom half and scored an unearned run to pull even after one. Dallas Hite came through with a two-out, RBI single in the second that drove in Carlos Irizarry to put the visitors back on top before a Maddux Ryan ground ball plated Parks in the third stanza to increase the advantage to 3-1 after three.

Berzonski made quick work of the Seahawks in the third and fourth innings, respectively, and the Lions put up three more runs in the fifth thanks to three walks, a hit by pitch, a balk, and a wild pitch. The home team got one back in the bottom of the sixth but reliever Simeon Davis sat the Seahawks down in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the game-one win.

GAME 2

Penn State Harrisburg (21-5, 12-0 United East) used a big fourth inning to erase a slim deficit and pull away from the Seahawks (6-12, 4-7 United East) in a 6-2 victory in the series finale on Saturday afternoon.

Blaine Waltimyer drove in a pair of runs, while Brendan Henn, Kevin Lehner, and Drew Bechtold each had multi-hit games. Hunter Merritt went 8.1 innings and allowed just two runs on six hits and one walk to go along with four strikeouts.

The home team got on the board first in the bottom of the third but the Lions answered back in the fourth with five runs on six hits. Waltimyer drove in the team's first two runs with a single to right field and Lucas Floyd followed it up with an RBI single up the middle. A Dallas Hite sacrifice fly plated Bechtold and Henn's RBI single through the left side drove in Floyd to push the lead to 5-1.

St. Mary's (Md.) got one back in the bottom of the fourth but Penn State Harrisburg added an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Parks drove in Floyd with an RBI fielder's choice. Merritt sat the Seahawks down in order in both the seventh and eighth innings before Kevin Maiolo came on in relief and struck out the final two batters of the game to clinch the victory.

NOTABLES

- Parks went 2-for-2 with a home run, a triple, a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI in the opener.

- Waltimyer was 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in game one.

- Hite finished 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored in the first outing.

- Lehner ended up 1-for-2 with a double and two walks in the opening contest.

- Berzonski earned his fourth win of the year after allowing just one earned run on three hits and a walk in 5.2 innings thrown in game one. He also racked up eight strikeouts.

- Henn went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in the second outing.

- Bechtold finished 2-for-4 with a run scored in game two.

- Lehner was 2-for-5 with a run scored in the nightcap.

- Waltimyer drove in two runs and scored one of his own in the final contest.

- Merritt picked up his fourth victory on the mound after going 8.1 innings, allowing just two runs on six hits to go along with four strikeouts.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions face a tough test when they host No. 19 Rowan for a non-conference tilt on Tuesday afternoon.

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