ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team split a pair of contests on Opening Day, defeating Franklin & Marshall 5-4 in the squad's 2024 opener before falling 10-7 to the hosts from N.C. Wesleyan in the second outing on Saturday, Feb. 24. 

GAME 1

In the first game of the season, Penn State Harrisburg (1-0) erased a two-run deficit and walked it off against Franklin & Marshall (0-1) thanks to Brendan Henn's RBI sacrifice fly that drove in Julian Belardo in the bottom of the ninth inning.

With the score tied 4-4 entering the final half inning, Belardo was hit by a pitch to begin the stanza before Josh Lantz worked a walk. Drew Sassaman moved the runners with a sac bunt and Coy Schwanger loaded the bases with the second walk of the inning, setting the stage for Henn to end things with a fly ball to right field.

The Diplomats did most of their damage via the long ball, using a pair of solo home runs and a two-run shot to plate all their runs. Josh Berzonski entered in the top of the sixth for Penn State Harrisburg and picked up where he left off during his breakout freshman campaign a year ago, striking out seven in four scoreless frames.  

The Lions struck first when Henn drove in Sassman with an RBI single in the bottom of the second but the Dips answered back with their first solo shot in the next half inning. F&M took its first lead with a two-run blast in the fourth but Penn State Harrisburg tacked on one run in each of the ensuing frames. 

Franklin & Marshall pulled back in front with another solo home run in the top of the sixth but the Lions drew even when a wild pitched allowed Blaine Waltimyer to cross the plate in the bottom of the eighth. 

GAME 2

Free bases doomed Penn State Harrisburg (1-1) in a 10-7 setback at N.C. Wesleyan (5-2) in the second outing of the season's first day. 

Five walks and a wild pitch across the sixth and seventh innings were the catalyst for a Battling Bishop rally that saw the home team turn a 7-5 deficit into a 10-7 advantage. All three of N.C. Wesleyan's seventh-inning runs came via walks.

The Lions scored three runs in the first and three more in the second to pull ahead 6-0 in the early going. Henn provided the power with the team's first home run of the season; a two-run blast in the bottom of the second that capped the scoring barrage in the first two stanzas. 

Four walks in the fourth set the table for the Battling Bishops to not only get on the board but cut the deficit to 6-5 with just two hits in the frame. A Sassaman RBI single to center field briefly stopped the bleeding by scoring Kevin Lehner in the top of the sixth but bases on balls proved the difference in the final innings. 

NOTABLES

- The Opening Day victory was the 250th win of head coach Ryan Bown's career.

- Henn hit the season's first home run in game two and racked up four total RBI on the day. 

- Berzonski earned the win over F&M, throwing four scoreless innings and striking out seven batters.

- Belardo tallied two hits in the season-opening victory.

- Henn drove in two runs and walked three times agains the Diplomats. 

- Lehner and Piotrowski were the lone Lions to record multiple hits in the nightcap. 

- Penn State Harrisburg pitchers walked 13 batters in the second outing.

- The Lions stole eight bases across the pair of games.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions wrap up opening weekend with a pair of games at Virginia Wesleyan on Sunday. Game one comes against SUNY New Paltz. The final contest features Penn State Harrisburg and the hosts.

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.