BEHREND, MOUNT ALOYSIUS SCORE WALK OFF HITS TO WIN AND ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

AMCC baseball teams didn't waste anytime getting into the postseason spirit as both first round series ended by virtue of walk off hits.

#3 Penn State Behrend d. #6 Pitt-Bradford 6-1, 4-3 (11 innings)

#3 Penn State Behrend swept #6 Pitt-Bradford 6-1 and 4-3 by way of an 11^th inning walk off base hit Saturday afternoon to advance to the AMCC semifinals. With two outs in the bottom of the 11^th inning of game two, sophomore infielder David Boehme pushed a single to right field and senior outfielder John Hlavinka beat the throw home to score from second to send the Lions to the AMCC semifinals.

Behrend freshman Phil Myers got the start and the no decision after 7.2 very strong innings of work, surrendering seven hits and striking out three. Sophomore Brandon Smail tossed 2.1 in relief to get a hold and Sean Rutkosky threw the 11^th, picking up his team leading sixth win of the season. Boehme led the team in game two with three hits, while freshman Scott Sada, Hlavinka and freshman outfielder Ian Taylor added two each.

The Lions took game one handily. They scored two runs in the second, three in the fourth and one in the sixth to put Bradford in a hole for the rest of the game. Lion ace Justin Rohrer went the distance, giving up only six hits and one run while striking out five. Junior infielder Brandon Bergstrom went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Freshman infielder Justin Foreman went 2-for-3 as well with an RBI base hit in each of his first two at bats. Senior outfielder John Hlavinka was the third Lion to go 2-for-3 in game one and also added an RBI.

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#4 Mount Aloysius d. #5 Hilbert College 4-2, 6-5

Even though #4 Mount Aloysius took game one from #5 Hilbert, 4-2, it was the Hawks who got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Junior Sal Carroccia singled, scoring Ryan Bonafede for the 1-0 lead.  The Hawks picked up right where they left off  in the second inning, as junior outfielder Anthony Wurstner scored on a Paul Wujek double, taking an early 2-0 lead. The Mounties didn't back down as junior outfielder Jordan Campano scored on a Bryn Brown RBI in the bottom of the third.  Campano and senior infielder Ian Helsel each scored in the fifth to take the 3-2 lead before sophomore Chase Miller added an insurance run in the sixth to set the final.

Game two between Mount Aloysius and Hilbert came down to the wire in true playoff fashion, as it was the second series of the day to end with a walk off. Hilbert once again was the first to score, taking 1-0 lead in the top of the third, but the Mounties scored two of their own in the bottom of the third and another one in the fourth for the 3-1 lead. Hilbert started to rally in the top of the sixth as they got three more runs from freshman Taylor Haug, Wujek, and Bonafede, as well as another run from Bonafede in the eighth, taking a comfortable 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Mounties weren't ready to end their season just yet and put together a rally of their own, as a Connor Bowie triple, Ben Legath single, and a Dylan Oswalt single plated Helsel, Bowie and Legath, respectively, and Mount Aloysius walked away with the 6-5 victory with a spot in the AMCC Championship Round.

The championship round will take place May 12-14 at top-seeded La Roche. Click here for complete tournament details.