LA ROCHE, BEHREND SPLIT ON DAY ONE OF AMCC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The #1 La Roche University and #2 Penn State Behrend baseball teams split the first two games of the best-of-three AMCC Championship series Wednesday afternoon. The teams will play the rubber match tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in a single nine inning game to decide this years champion.

After trailing 4-3 in game one, the Redhawks scored six unanswered runs to win 9-4. In game two, Penn St. Behrend scored all six of their runs in the top of the fourth and won the game 6-4.

Game One - La Roche 9, Penn St. Behrend 4

The Redhawks scored three runs each in the third, fourth and sixth innings. Behrend scored all four of their runs in the top of the fourth. The Lions led 4-3 heading into the bottom of fourth before back-to-back home-runs from Ryan Lynn and Jason Swope put the Redhawks back on top, 6-4. LRU never looked back.

La Roche went 10-for-29 (.345) at the plate as a unit and left seven runners on base while Penn St. Behrend batted 6-25 (.240) and left six runners on base. LRU posted five extra base hits (two home-runs, two triples, one double) and Behrend had one double. On the mound, Jake Seymour pitched his seventh complete game of the season and improved to 8-0. In 7.0 innings pitched, Seymour had six strikeouts, four walks and two earned runs. Lynn recorded the game-winning run on a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to put LRU up 5-4. He went 3-for-4 with a HR, a triple, two RBI and scored three runs. Swope went 2-for-3 with a solo HR, two RBI and three runs scored. Dylan Urban went 2-for-4 with a triple and a game-high three RBI. 

Game Two - Penn St. Behrend 6 La Roche 4

The Lions handed the Redhawks their second loss of the season to stay alive in the championship series. Thomas Zbezinski had a career-high 12 strikeouts en route to his seventh win for the Lions. Zbezinski pitched the first six innings and only gave up three hits. Zack Bowen registered the save with relief in the final inning of work. Behrend scored all six runs in the fourth inning on three hits and one error. Josh Wagner led off being hit by a pitch, Colin Harger singled and Juston Jones reached on an error to load the bases.  With no outs showing, Isaac Stouffer smacked a three RBI double to center field. The Lions loaded the bases once again and La Roche pitcher Tristan Tinney walked Anthony Slate for another run. Wagner was able get two more runs in with a single to center field for a 6-0 lead. La Roche cut the lead to three in the seventh and threatened in the bottom of the ninth with another run for the final margin.