Baseball Outslugs LVC to Win Ninth Straight

Baseball Outslugs LVC to Win Ninth Straight

ANNVILLE, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team scored early and often and held off a late Lebanon Valley rally in a 15-12 slugfest on Wednesday afternoon, extending the team's recent win streak to nine games. 

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The bats stayed hot for Penn State Harrisburg (19-14) on Wednesday afternoon, as the Lions racked up six extra-base hits in a 15-12 road victory over Lebanon Valley (20-13). The win was the team's ninth in a row - the longest such streak of the season. 

 

Matt Parks hit a pair of solo home runs, while Dallas Hite went 2-for-4 with a solo shot, two walks, three RBI, and three runs scored. Kevin Lehner drove in three runs, while Drew Sassaman scored three of his own. 

 

Hite led off the game by working a full count before launching a solo home run down the left field line. Two at-bats later, Parks smoked a pitch over the wall in right field to push the lead to 2-0. 

 

The Blue & White poured it on in the top of the second, using six hits, including a Smith double, and three walks to put up nine runs and make it 11-0 after one and a half frames. 

 

The Flying Dutchmen got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the third but Parks responded with his second solo home run of the game in the fourth inning, a massive shot that landed in the LVC bullpen beyond the right field wall to make it 12-3. 

 

Facing a double-digit deficit, Lebanon Valley rallied in the closing stanzas, scoring four runs in the seventh, another in the eighth, and two in the ninth but reliever Justin Emanuel entered with one away in the final frame and struck out a pair to end the potential comeback and seal the victory. 

 

NOTABLES

- Dallas Hite had his second big game in as many days, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two walks, three RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base.

- Matt Parks hit a pair of solo home runs, with his second long ball serving as the 100th hit of his career.

- Kevin Lehner racked up three RBI, while Chase Smith and Drew Sassaman drove in two runs apiece.

- Sassaman also scored three runs, while Parks and Josh Lantz each plated twice. 

- Starter Nick Fitzgerald got the win, going five innings on the bump. 

- Justin Emanuel earned the first save of his career, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth. 

 

WHO'S NEXT?

It's back to conference play for the Lions when they travel to face United East foe Lancaster Bible in the first outing of a three-game weekend series on Friday afternoon. 

 

STAY CONNECTED

Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using the handle @pshbgathletics.