MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team picked up its fourth win of the season over a nationally-ranked opponent with an 8-3 victory over No. 25 York (Pa.) on Tuesday afternoon, March 19. Josh Berzonski earned the win by striking out seven in the final five innings after Danny Eden turned in another quality start. Coy Schwanger, Drew Sassaman, Carlos Irizarry, Matt Isaac, and Braeden Piotrowski all had three-hit games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Behind stellar efforts from Berzonski and Eden, the Lions (12-5) held a York (Pa.) squad averaging more than 11 runs per game to just three on Tuesday afternoon to extend their recent win streak to eight in a row.
Penn State Harrisburg took advantage of a first-inning error and got a two-out RBI single from Irizarry to take an early 1-0 lead. The Spartans (9-2) got something going in the third, using a pair of hits and an error to put up a pair of runs but Eden limited the damage and allowed his offense to tie things up in the bottom half when Sassaman singled to left center and plated Joe Licolli following his lead-off double.
The Lions retook the lead in the fourth when a Piotrowski infield single gave Tim Haftl enough time to score from third before a Schwanger two-out RBI single up the middle drove in Drew Bechtold to make it 4-2. The home team kept the crooked numbers coming with three more in the fifth, all with two away. An Isaac single scored Irizarry, a Schwanger single drove in Isaac, and a Sassaman base knock plated Piotrowski to stretch the cushion to five.
After the visitors got one back in the top of the sixth, Penn State Harrisburg answered right back when Irizarry's two-out single drove in Lucas Floyd in the bottom half. Berzonski went back to work and retired the Spartans in order in the eighth before ending the game with a strikeout in the ninth.
NOTABLES
- The win was Penn State Harrisburg's fourth win this season over a nationally-ranked team. The Lions are 4-4 this spring against ranked opponents.
- With the victory, Penn State Harrisburg extended its win streak to eight in a row.
- Berzonski improved to 3-0 on the year after throwing the final five innings and allowing just one run on two hits to go along with seven strikeouts.
- Eden got the start and allowed just one earned run on five hits in four innings thrown.
- Schwanger finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored.
- Isaac went 3-for-4, drove in a run, and scored another.
- Irizarry was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
- Piotrowski finished 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
- Sassaman tallied three hits, two runs, and a pair of RBI.
- Licolli was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions host Wilson and Stevens for a split doubleheader on Sunday.
STAY CONNECTED
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