Newport News, VA. – Penn State Harrisburg Baseball defeated Christopher Newport to win Pod B and earn a trip to the CAC Championship Series next weekend. The Lions took the lead in the fourth inning when Bret Williams launched a 3-Run Home Run over the center field fence. RBI Doubles from Alex Cline and Zachary Koroneos in the sixth and eighth inning extended the lead. Relief Pitcher Bobby Patterson came in the sixth inning and shut down the Captain's offense allowing just three hits the rest of the way.
Penn State Harrisburg 8 vs. Christopher Newport 2
Records:
Penn State Harrisburg: 31-10 Overall
Christopher Newport: 32-10 Overall
How it Happened:
Harrisburg would get on the board first, scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Bret Williams led off the inning by taking advantage of an error by the third basemen. After Zachary Koroneos and Chase Smith got hit by pitches to load the bases, Chris Iocca singled up the middle to score Williams and give the Lions a 1-0 advantage.
The Captains would use a solo Home Run in the third inning to tie the game, put the Lions offense would recapture the lead in the fourth inning. Ryan McSorley would single through the right side and Justin O'Dell drew a walk to put runners on base for Williams. Williams would then smash a pitch over the center field fence for a 3-Run Home Run giving the Lions a 4-1 advantage.
The Captains would cut into the lead, scoring one run in the fifth inning. With runners on in the top of the sixth inning for the Captains, Harrisburg would turn to senior relief pitcher Bobby Patterson to get out of the jam. Patterson would get a fly out and a pair of ground outs to get out of the inning without any more damage. Patterson would go on to pitch the rest of the game for the Lions, allowing just three hits, while holding the Captains scoreless.
The Lions would add insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings. After O'Dell single and Williams was intentionally walked in the sixth inning, Alex Cline would come to the plate. A wild pitch would move both runners into scoring position for the Lions and Cline would make the Captains pay, blasting a double into the right center gap, plating both runners. In the eighth inning, Tyler Aug would draw a walk and Cline would single to put runners on for Koroneos. Koroneos would double to right field, scoring both runners and putting the Lions ahead 8-2.
Inside The Stats:
Winning Pitcher: PSH- Zach Gettys
Losing Pitcher: CNU- Logan Harrelson
Hits: Penn State Harrisburg (10) vs. Christopher Newport (5)
Errors: Penn State Harrisburg (0) vs. Christopher Newport (2)
Impact Performance:
Bret Williams- 1-4, HR, 3 Runs Scored, 3 RBI's
Alex Cline- 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI's
Zachary Koroneos- 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI's
Bobby Patterson- Save, 4.0 Innings, 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 Strike Outs
Coaches Thoughts:
Head Coach Ryan Bown said, "It takes a full team effort to win at this point in the season. Especially on the road at CNU. I couldn't be more proud of these guys. We are going to enjoy this for today, but we know we have a lot of work to due this week to accomplish the goal we set out to reach at the beginning of the season."
What's Next:
Penn State Harrisburg Baseball has two regular season games scheduled this week. The Lions will travel on Monday May 7th to face Shenandoah at 6PM. The Lions will also have a home game this week, when they battle Arcadia on Wednesday May 9th at 2PM. Harrisburg will then look to capture a CAC Championship when they battle Salisbury University in best of three Championship Series. For more information, follow Penn State Harrisburg Baseball at:
Twitter - www.twitter.com/pshbgbaseball
Instagram - www.instagram.com/pennstatehbgathletics
Facebook - www.facebook.com/pennstatehbgathletics
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