FERRUM, Va. – Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team opened the 2023 campaign with a doubleheader split with Ferrum on Friday night, Feb. 24. The Lions came up just short in a 14-13 setback in the opener but responded with a 14-8 victory in the finale.  

GAME 1

The Lions (0-1) battled back from a pair of multi-run deficits and pulled ahead on two separate occasions but couldn't close it out in their season opener, falling 14-13 to the hometown Panthers (3-2) in the first game of a twin bill on Friday evening.

Penn State Harrisburg loaded the bases to begin the game but failed to push anyone across, allowing the home team to strike first with three runs in the bottom of the second. The Lions got on the board when Josh Lantz worked a bases-loaded walk in the top of the third before putting together a three-run top of the fourth, keyed by a Blaine Waltimyer RBI single, a Drew Sassaman sacrifice fly, and a Brendan Henn RBI groundout.

Ferrum tied it up in the bottom of the fifth and each team traded runs in the sixth before Penn State Harrisburg used a four-run top of the seventh to pull ahead 9-5. Waltimyer had a sac fly in the frame, Parks had a bases-loaded walk, and Henn drove in a pair with an RBI single through the left side.

The Panthers responded in a big way in the bottom half, using four hits, including a double and a triple, to scored six runs and retake the lead. The Lions drew even again in the top of the eighth but the home team answered back with a three-run bottom of the inning. A Lantz RBI single and a bases-loaded walk by Dallas Hite cut the deficit to one in the top of the ninth but as they had to begin the game, the Lions left them loaded to end the contest.

GAME 2

Penn State Harrisburg (1-1) bounced back from a game one loss to earn the doubleheader split with a 14-8 victory over Ferrum (3-3) in the nightcap on Friday evening.

The Lions got the scoring started with a Maddux Ryan RBI single in the top of the first and Josh Lantz followed it up with a double that plated Brendan Henn. The visitors tacked on another when Drew Sassaman doubled to left center and drove in Blaine Waltimyer in the second.

After adding another run in the fourth, Penn State Harrisburg put up six runs in the top of the fifth, with Drew Bechtold, Lucas Floyd, Joe Licolli, and Sassaman all driving in runs during the stanza. Ferrum got on the board with a lone run in the bottom half but Lantz answered back with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to make it 11-1.

The teams traded one run each in the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth but the Panthers made it interesting when they plated five in the bottom of the eighth to cut the deficit to 12-7. The Lions added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth when Ryan Barthlow's double drove in two more and Ferrum was unable to put together a big enough bottom of the ninth to extend the game.

NOTABLES

- Starting pitcher Hunter Merritt earned the win in the second outing, allowing just one run on four hits to go along with three strikeouts in five innings of work.

- Maddux Ryan went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored in the nightcap.

- Drew Sassaman was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI in the second matchup.

- Josh Lantz was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, two RBI, and a run scored in game two.

- Ryan Barthlow finished 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI in the second contest.

- Brendan Henn scored a game-high three runs in the finale.

- Dallas Hite went 4-for-4 with a pair of walks, an RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base in the opener.

- Matt Parks was 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI in the first contest.

- Lantz finished 2-for-4 with two walks, a pair of RBI, and two runs scored in game one.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions wrap up their four-game set at Ferrum with another doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 26.

STAY CONNECTED

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