PALMYRA, Pa. - No. 23/28 Penn State Harrisburg took game one of a scheduled doubleheader from UMass Dartmouth 6-4 on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 28 before game two was suspended due to darkness after 10 innings. The finale, tied 10-10 after after 10, is set to resume on Sunday afternoon prior to the start of the final contest of the three game series between the two squads.
Behind a sterling start from Fisher Druck, the Lions (3-1) raced out to a 6-0 lead in the opener and held off a ninth-inning rally from the Corsairs (0-4) to secure the non-conference win. Druck earned his first win of the season and the 20th of his career, throwing six shutout innings and allowing just two hits and two walks to go along with nine strikeouts. Coy Schwanger and Chris Catania each had multi-hit games, including one double apiece, while Tim Haftl also doubled and drove in two runs.
Penn State Harrisburg took advantage of three walks and a balk to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Blaine Waltimyer scored the game's first run and Matthew Johansen drove in Demetre Koutras III with an RBI groundout.
Druck retired UMass Dartmouth in order in the top of the second, struck out the side in the top of the third and put together another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth. The Lions finally tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth when Schwanger doubled to left center and drove in Jon Morgante from first base in the process. Druck set down the Corsairs in order to end his outing in the top of the sixth and Penn State Harrisburg put up a crooked number in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an RBI single from James Quici and Haftl's double that scored Quici and Alexander Ruiz.
Trailing 6-0 in the top of the ninth, the visitors used a single and back-to-back hit by pitches to load the bases before a two-out grand slam cut the deficit to two runs. Reliever Bradyn Eckert was called upon to settle things down. He made his first appearance of the day and needed just four pitches to get the game-ending strikeout.
The second contest saw the teams combine for 25 hits and 20 runs without deciding a victor. The game was suspended following the conclusion of the 10th inning and will resume in the top of the 11th on Sunday afternoon.
NOTABLES
- Druck secured his first win of the spring after allowing just two hits and two walks to go along with six strikeouts in six innings of work.
- Eckert needed just four pitches to secure his second save of the season.
- Schwanger and Catania each had multi-hit games.
- Haftl drove in a pair of runs.
- Waltimyer walked twice and scored two runs.
- Penn State Harrisburg combined to steal three bases in game one.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions will wrap up their weekend series with UMass Dartmouth on Sunday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
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