MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg's baseball team completed the weekend sweep of United East foe Penn State Berks with a convincing 17-1 victory on Sunday afternoon. Brendan Henn had three hits, including a home run, Carlos Irizarry homered and drove in three runs, and Christian Lubic II earned the win after striking out seven in five innings of work.
Penn State Harrisburg (16-5, 6-0 United East) got on the board with one run in the second before Henn led off the third by crushing a solo home run over the fence in left field. Irizarry also went yard in the third, this time a two-run shot to left center field that brought Kevin Lehner around with him.
Irizarry drove in another run in the fourth thanks to a two-out RBI infield single that plated Henn to make it 5-0 before Penn State Berks (3-17-1, 2-6-1 United East) broke through with a solo home run in the top of the fifth. The home team wasted no time answering back, however, as Lehner came through with a two-out, two-RBI single to right field in the bottom half, scoring Henn and Drew Sassaman to push the lead to 7-1.
Penn State Harrisburg put things out of reach for good with a dominant 10-run bottom of the sixth that saw the hometown Lions rack up six hits, including a Demetre Koutras II triple to right field that scored a pair of runs, two walks, and a hit by pitch. The home team also took advantage of three Penn State Berks errors in the stanza.
Lubic allowed just five hits and a single run in five innings before relievers Aidan Bergholc and Caiden Ertter combined to throw two scoreless frames to end the game.
NOTABLES
- With the victory, Penn State Harrisburg extended its recent win streak to 12 in a row.
- Henn finished 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, three runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.
- Irizarry went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored.
- Lehner was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, and a run scored.
- Dallas Hite, Sassaman, and Tim Haftl also had multi-hit games.
- Haftl scored three runs and stole a base, Hite plated twice, and Joe Licolli tallied two RBI.
- Lubic improved to 2-0 on the spring, striking out seven and allowing just one run on five hits and a walk in five innings of work.
- Bergholc struck out a pair in an inning of relief.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions travel to No. 6 Rowan for a marquee non-conference matchup on Monday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
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