VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - In a contest that featured 36 combined hits, 13 of which were extra-base knocks, Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team slugged its way to a 16-12 victory at Virginia Wesleyan on Thursday afternoon, March 9.
Dallas Hite became the second player in program history to hit for the cycle, Kevin Lehner had five hits to match the single-game program record, and Brendan Henn and Matt Parks each launched home runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions (7-2) swung the bats with authority, racking up 18 hits, including three home runs and five doubles, in their most recent victory on Thursday afternoon. Penn State Harrisburg erased deficits on two occasions before breaking a late tie by putting up crooked numbers in each of the final three frames.
The Marlins (1-11) grabbed an early lead by plating three in the bottom of the second before the visitors responded with a seven-run top of the third that saw Henn hit a two-run blast, as well as Maddux Ryan, Josh Lantz, and Drew Sassaman combine to drive in four runs. Sassaman also took home on a double steal that pushed the advantage to four through two and a half.
Virginia Wesleyan used the long ball to cut the deficit in half in the home half of the third before using three more hits, a walk, and a couple of wild pitches to come away with four more runs and pull back out in front 9-7 heading to the fourth.
The Lions got one back in the top of the fourth when Parks led off the inning with a solo shot to right field but the home team matched it with an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of Matt Sinko's second long ball of the day.
The visitors got things going again in the seventh, with Hite leading off with a double and Lantz walking before a Sassaman single pushed them across to cut the deficit to a lone run. Later in the stanza, a throwing error allowed Sassaman to score from third to give Penn State Harrisburg its second lead of the afternoon.
Virginia Wesleyan used a bases-loaded, two-out single to tie things up in the bottom half but Hite answered with a three-run blast in the top of the eighth, bringing Lehner and Ryan around the base paths with him to make it 14-11.
Reliever Joel Sneeringer kept the Marlins off the board in the bottom of the eighth and the Lions tacked on two more in the top of the ninth, with Lehner singling to bring home Henn and Hite completing the cycle with a two-out triple that drove in Joe Licolli. Virginia Wesleyan got one back in the home half but Kevin Maiolo stranded a pair to seal the high-scoring win.
NOTABLES
- Hite joined former standout Bret Williams as the only players in program history to hit for the cycle. He drove in four runs and scored three more.
- Lehner went 5-for-5 to match the program record for hits in a single game.
- The home runs for Hite, Parks, and Henn were the first of the spring for each of them.
- Sassaman finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored.
- Ryan had a multi-hit outing, scoring two runs and driving in another.
- Lantz went 1-for-3 with a double, three walks, two runs scored, and an RBI.
- Sneeringer earned his second win of the season on the mound.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions continue their spring break action in Virginia when they travel to No. 18 Christopher Newport for doubleheader action on Saturday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.