NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - No. 19 Penn State Harrisburg got back on the winning track with a pair of non-conference victories over Hartford and No. 12 Christopher Newport at CNU's Captains Park on Saturday afternoon, March 8. The bats woke up in the middle innings of an 11-7 win over the Hawks in the opener, while sterling pitching set the tone in an 8-2 victory over the nationally-ranked hosts in the nightcap.


In the win over Hartford (4-4), Carlos Irizarry drove in three runs, while Alexander Ruiz had a three-hit game. Matthew Johansen, Blaine Waltimyer and Braeden Piotrowski scored two runs apiece. Aiden Bergholc turned in a quality start on the mound, Benjamin Ross earned the win and Jack Maguire was stellar in throwing the final two innings. 


The Hawks scored first in the bottom of the opening frame but Penn State Harrisburg (7-1) got going in the top of the fourth, pulling even when Johansen's sacrifice fly to right field plated Irizarry and pulling ahead on an RBI groundout from Waltimyer that pushed Demetre Koutras III across. Drew Sassaman doubled the advantage in the top of next stanza when he singled to left field and drove in Lucas Floyd. Before the inning was through, the Lions pushed the lead to 4-1 thanks to an Irizarry sac fly to center field that scored Tim Haftl. 


Hartford answered back and reclaimed the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth but Penn State Harrisburg wasted no time putting up another crooked number to begin the sixth. Johansen scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Ruiz put the Lions back in front with an infield single that plated Waltimyer. Irizarry added some insurance when his single through the left side drove in Ruiz and Piotrowski to make it 8-5. 


It was more of the same in the seventh for the Lions, with Ruiz adding to the lead with a single to left center that plated Johansen before Waltimyer scored again on a ground ball. A two-out Hartford error proved costly for the Hawks when it allowed Piotrowksi to score from second base, ballooning the Penn State Harrisburg lead to 11-5 through six and a half.


The Hawks cut into the deficit with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh but Ross stranded a runner on first base to end any further threat. Maguire entered in the eighth and made quick work of Hartford in his first inning of work before retiring the side in order to end the game.  


In the victory over Christopher Newport (9-6), starting pitcher Fisher Druck was excellent, earning the win after allowing just one run on four hits to go along with eight strikeouts in five innings thrown. Reliever Caiden Ertter was just as strong, picking up the save after surrendering just one run on five hits in four innings of work. Sassaman shined at the plate, tallying three RBIs on two hits and scoring two runs. Koutras also had a multi-hit outing and drove in a pair of runs. 


The Captains struck first in the bottom of the opening stanza but Sassaman's first RBI single of the game scored Ruiz in the top of the third and tied things at 1-1. 


After CNU threatened by loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth, Druck worked out of trouble by striking out a pair and getting the final batter of the inning to fly out to Piotrowski in center field. Galvanized by their starter's effort, the Lions (8-1) responded with three runs in the top of the next frame. A Christopher Newport error allowed the go-ahead run to score, Johansen drove in another with an RBI groundout and a Koutras two-out single plated Irizarry to make it 4-1.


Another big inning for the visitors ensued, with Penn State Harrisburg tacking on four more on four hits in the seventh. Sassaman's bases-loaded single through the right side scored Floyd and Coy Schwanger, while Irizarry's single to left center pushed Piotrowski across. Koutras capped his team's scoring with a double to left field that drove in Sassaman to stretch the lead to 8-1 through six and a half.


Ertter retired the Captains in order in the bottom of the eighth and and faced six batters in the ninth to secure his first save of the spring after allowing just one run in his four innings of work. 


NOTABLES
- The win over CNU is Penn State Harrisburg's first over a nationally-ranked opponent this season. 
- Druck improved to 2-0 on the spring after allowing just one run on four hits to go along with eight strikeouts in the nightcap.
- Ertter earned the save against the Captains after throwing the final four innings and allowing just one run on five hits. 
- Maguire's relief appearance in the opener included just one baserunner in two innings of work.
- Ross got the win against the Hawks, throwing 2.2 innings of relief with three strikeouts.
- Bergholc was solid in his start against Hartford, allowing three runs on four hits in 4.1 innings thrown.
- Sassaman finished 4-for-6 on the day with three walks, four RBIs three stolen bases and two runs scored.
- Ruiz went 4-for-9 across both games with three runs scored and two more driven in.
- Irizarry drove in four runs and stole two bases on the day.
- In the victory over Hartford, the Lions swiped seven bags.


WHO'S NEXT? 
The Lions close out their two-game series with Hartford at CNU's Captains Park on Sunday morning. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.


STAY CONNECTED
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