ANNVILLE, Pa. – No. 14/16 Penn State Harrisburg erased a seven-run deficit but ran out of daylight in a 12-12 non-conference tie at Lebanon Valley that was halted after eight innings due to darkness on Tuesday afternoon, March 25.
Blaine Waltimyer tallied three hits with a double and two runs scored, while
Lucas Floyd hit a key three-run home run to cap the comeback effort in the seventh inning.
Matthew Johansen drove in three runs,
Demetre Koutras III and
Alexander Ruiz each had multi-hit days and
Brendan Henn walked three times.
LVC (7-13-1) took an early lead in the bottom of the second but the Lions (14-3-1) used three hits, a walk and a double steal to score three runs in the top of the third and take their first lead of the game. The Flying Dutchmen pulled even with a pair of runs in the bottom half before seemingly taking control of the game thanks to a seven-run bottom of the fourth.
The visitors answered back with four runs in the top of the fifth, as Ruiz and Johansen came through with key two-out base knocks that drove in two apiece and cut the deficit to a more manageable 10-7 through four and a half. In the top of the seventh, Floyd came up clutch with two men on and two away, hitting a three-run blast over the wall in right field to give Penn State Harrisburg an 11-10 advantage.
The Lions tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eight when a Koutras ground ball plated Waltimyer from third base but the Dutchmen were stingy in the bottom half, singling three straight times with two outs and scoring a pair of runs to pull even after eight.
Before the first pitch to begin the ninth, the game was called due to darkness to end the contest in a rare tie.
NOTABLES
- The tie was the first for Penn State Harrisburg since the 2019 season.
- Waltimyer finished 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. He also surpassed the 100-hit mark for his career.
- Ruiz went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.
- Johansen was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored.
- Koutras went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and two RBIs.
- Floyd hit his second home run of the season and drove in three runs.
- For Penn State Harrisburg's pitching, five of the runs scored were unearned.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions host Messiah for a single non-conference game on Wednesday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
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@pshbgathletics.