MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team extended its win streak to 16 in a a row before having it snapped by conference foe Penn College in doubleheader action on Friday afternoon, April 14. The Lions rolled to a 10-0 shutout victory in the opener before falling 8-6 in game two.

GAME 1

Penn State Harrisburg (23-5, 13-0 United East) hit three home runs and got a great start from Fisher Druck in a 10-0 victory over Penn College (15-12, 10-2 United East) in the first game of Friday's doubleheader.

Druck allowed just two hits in six innings of work and struck out five batters to earn the win, while Kevin Lehner, Dallas Hite, and Maddux Ryan each went yard. Carlos Irizarry drove in three runs and Josh Lantz added an RBI triple.

Matt Parks got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with an RBI groundout before Lehner followed it up with an opposite field, two-run home run to right field. After Ryan doubled, the Lions took advantage of an error and scored a pair of unearned runs when Irizarry drove in Ryan and Blaine Waltimyer with a double down the first base line. 

Penn State Harrisburg followed up its five-run first inning with more crooked numbers in the third and fourth, respectively. Lantz's third-inning triple plated Ryan from first base and an Irizarry two-out single drove in Lantz. Hite led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot over the left field fence and Ryan blasted a two-run homer over the fence in right field push the lead to 10. 

Druck retired six straight Wildcats across the fifth and sixth frames and the defense put an exclamation point on things when Irizarry teamed with Brendan Henn and Ryan to turn a 6-4-3 double play in the seventh to end the game. 

GAME 2

Penn State Harrisburg (23-6, 13-1 United East) struggled to get things going early on and fell short of completing the comeback during an 8-6 setback to Penn College (16-12, 11-2 United East) in the final game of Friday's conference doubleheader.

Maddux Ryan had three hits, including a double, and Drew Bechtold drove in a pair of runs. Brendan Henn added a home run. 

After struggling to get anything going offensively though seven innings, the Lions found themselves trailing 7-1 in the eighth before rallying to put up three runs in the bottom half thanks to three hits and a walk. 

The Wildcats got one back in the top of the ninth but Penn State Harrisburg refused to roll over, as Henn hit a two-run home run in the bottom half to cut the deficit to two with nobody out. Unfortunately for the home team, that's as close as it would get as Penn College held off the late charge and ended the Lions' win streak.

NOTABLES

- Ryan finished 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, three runs, and a pair of RBI in the opener.

- Irizarry was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in the first outing. 

- Hite went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI in game one.

- Lehner was 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored in the opening contest.

- Druck improved to 5-0 on the year after throwing six innings and allowing just two hits and a pair of walks. He also struck out five batters in game one. 

- Ryan finished 3-for-5 with a double, a pair of RBI and a run scored in the nightcap.

- Bechtold went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the second outing.

- Henn drove in a pair in the finale thanks to a two-run blast in the ninth inning.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions will wrap up their weekend series against Penn College with the rubber match on Sunday afternoon. 

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