CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team won a slugfest over Wilson 15-11 in non-conference action on Monday afternoon to extend its recent win streak to seven in a row.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a game with 25 combined runs and 24 combined hits, Penn State Harrisburg (11-5) got the biggest ones when they mattered most during Monday's victory. Kevin Lehner homered for the third time in two games, while Carlos Irizarry, Drew Sassaman, and Brendan Henn each had multi-hit outings.
The Lions wasted no time getting on the board, putting up four runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by Irizarry's two-run double. The Phoenix (8-3) cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first but the visitors answered back with a monster three-run blast from Lehner in the top of the second.
From there, Wilson scored six unanswered runs to take its first lead of the game at 8-7 in the bottom of the fourth. Henn's two-out single in the top of the ensuing stanza drove in Blaine Waltimyer and tied things up before Penn State Harrisburg put up another big inning in the seventh.
The Lions loaded the bases and Coy Schwanger put them back on top with an RBI single before Henn's bases-loaded walk made in 10-8. Sassaman tacked on another with a single up the middle that plated Braeden Piotrowski to make it a three-run advantage through six and a half.
Dallas Gilbert settled things down on the mound and threw four scoreless innings of relief, allowing the visitors to increase their lead when Sassaman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth. They added three more in the ninth thanks to Dallas Hite's RBI single, a passed ball with Irizarry on third, and a Piotrowski RBI groundout that plated Hite.
The Phoenix mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth and scored three runs but it proved too little too late as reliever Aidan Bergholc induced a swinging strikeout to end the threat and the game.
NOTABLES
- The victory was Penn State Harrisburg's seventh in a row.
- Lehner homered and drove in a team-high three runs. He also walked and scored two runs.
- Irizarry went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, three runs scored, and two RBI.
- Sassaman finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
- Henn was 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBI, and a run scored.
- Gilbert threw 4.2 innings of relief and struck out four batters in earning the win.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions host York (Pa.) for another marquee non-conference matchup on Tuesday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.