ROSEMONT, Pa. - No. 15/17 Penn State Harrisburg broke out the bats in a big way during a doubleheader sweep of Rosemont in the team's United East opener, racking up 44 runs across both games on Saturday afternoon, March 22. The Lions rolled to a 23-4 victory in the opener before going back and forth with the Ravens in a 21-15 win in the second contest.


Alex Ruiz had three hits, including a double, drove in five runs and scored three more in game one. Carlos Irizarry scored five runs and drove in two more, Lucas Floyd drove in four runs and Brendan Henn and Moises Gonzalez each had three-hit outings. Fisher Druck earned the win on the bump, striking out six batters in five innings thrown.


The Lions (13-3, 1-0 United East) put up four runs in the top of the first on five singles and a walk and never looked back. They added three more in both the top of the third and top of the fourth to go up by a dozen runs through three and a half innings.


Rosemont (5-10) got four back in the fourth but Penn State Harrisburg answered right back with three runs in the top of the fifth and tacked on four more runs in the sixth, highlighted by Ruiz's two-out RBI double. In the top of the seventh, the Lions used two hits and took advantage of four errors to plate four and surpass the 20-run mark for the first time this season.


Gonzalez was potent at the plate in game two, tallying five hits and finishing a triple shy of the cycle to go along with six RBIs and three runs scored. Matthew Johansen had a four-hit day with two doubles, while Blaine Waltimyer finished 3-for-5 with three doubles, six RBIs and three runs scored. Henn doubled and drove in three runs and Irizarry scored three times. Reliever Dylan Sattazahn earned the win on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings, allowing just two baserunners and striking out five.


Like they did in game one, the Lions (14-3, 2-0 United East) jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap after scoring four runs on four hits in the top of the second but the Ravens (5-11, 0-2 United East) used six free bases and three hits in the bottom half to plate seven runs and take their first lead of the day.


Penn State Harrisburg got one back in the third when Gonzalez singled home Irizarry and eventually reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth, using five hits that included a three-run home run from Gonzalez to score five runs and pull ahead 10-7 through three and a half. The visitors added two more in the fifth before putting things out of reach with seven runs in the sixth.


NOTABLES
- The Lions racked up 44 total runs across both games.
- Ruiz had three hits, including a double, drove in five runs and scored three more in the opener.
- Henn and Gonzalez each had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in game one.
- Irizarry scored five runs, drove in two more and walked twice in the first outing.
- Floyd drove in four runs and scored another in the opener.
- Druck went five innings and struck out six to earn the win in the first contest.
- Relievers Cole Lambert and Parker Nein combined for two scoreless innings to end game one.
- Gonzalez finished a triple shy of the cycle in game two, tallying five hits, including a home run and a double to go along with six RBIs and three runs.
- Waltimyer went 3-for-5 with three doubles, six RBIs and three runs scored in the nightcap.
- Johansen was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI in the second game.
- Henn finished 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored in the last outing.
- Sattazahn made a relief appearance and earned the win in game two, throwing three scoreless innings, allowing just two baserunners and striking out five batters.


WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions travel to Lebanon Valley for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.


STAY CONNECTED
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