ABINGTON, Pa. - No. 12/13 Penn State Harrisburg split a tightly-contested conference doubleheader at United East foe Penn State Abington on Sunday afternoon, April 13. A ninth-inning error cost the visitors the opener in a 6-5 setback, while the Lions stranded the tying run on third base in a 4-3 victory in the final contest.
Penn State Harrisburg (22-6-1, 7-2 United East) fell into a 5-1 hole midway through game one but battled back to pull even in the top of the ninth before an error on a dropped third strike allowed Penn State Abington (13-13, 7-3 United East) to score the game-winning run from third base in the bottom of the ninth. It spoiled a strong relief appearance from Danny Eden that included five strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work, as well as two-hit games from Brendan Henn and Moises Gonzalez.
The visiting Lions (23-6-1, 8-2 United East) got the bats going in game two, racking up 10 hits that included four doubles. Blaine Waltimyer doubled twice, while Demetre Koutras II had two hits and scored a pair of runs. Tim Haftl also had a multi-hit second outing. On the mound, Bradyn Eckert got the start and struck out eight, Caiden Ertter earned the win and Fisher Druck got the save.
Penn State Harrisburg struck first when Gonzalez singled home Koutras in the top of the second and the visitors doubled their advantage in the top of the third with Carlos Irizarry singled to left field and drove in Waltimyer in the process.
Penn State Abington (13-14, 7-4 United East) cut the deficit in half with a single run in the bottom of the fourth before pulling even with another run in the bottom of the fifth. Penn State Harrisburg answered back in the sixth when Koutras led off with a double and advanced one base at a time thanks to a pair of wild pitches that put the visitors back out in front.
The visiting Lions got a two-out rally going to begin the eighth when Irizarry and Gonzalez worked back-to-back walks with two away. Tim Haftl came through with a single through the right side that scored Irizarry and gave Penn State Harrisburg a valuable insurance run.
With two away in the final frame, Penn State Abington scored one run in the bottom of the ninth and moved the tying run to third base but Druck induced a game-ending ground ball that allowed the visitors to escape with a doubleheader split.
NOTABLES
- Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in the opener.
- Henn was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in the first contest.
- Eden threw the final 1.2 innings of game one, allowing just two hits and striking out five batters.
- Thompson made a strong relief appearance in the opener, surrendering just one hit with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings thrown.
- Waltimyer was 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in the nightcap.
- Koutras finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the second game.
- Haftl had two hits and drove in one run in the final contest.
- Eckert struck out eight batters during his game-two start.
- Ertter earned his second win of the season after allowing one run on three hits.
- Druck picked up his first save of the spring, throwing the final two frames and allowing two hits and no earned runs to go along with three strikeouts.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions host Shenandoah on Monday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
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