ERIE, Pa. – The sixth-seeded University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team (12-25) dropped the first two games of a best of three games series at third-seeded Penn State Behrend (27-13) on Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the AMCC Championships.
The Panthers fell, 6-1, in the opener and dropped game two 4-3, in an 11-inning heartbreaker.
Austin Parent and Jacob Rivers had two hits each to lead the Panther's offense in game two while Pat James added a solo home run. Jay Clinger and Keagan Goodliff drove in one run each for the Panthers in the tough loss.
Justin Beimel was effective, allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out two in seven strong innings on the hill. Ryan Boyer was hit with the loss, as Behrend walked off winners on a bloop single to right field in the bottom of the 11th. Boyer pitched well in relief, allowing just three hits in 3.2 innings.
Dave Boehme led the Lion's offense, going 3-5 with an RBI while Scott Sada, Brandon Bergstrom and Matt Wolczko drove in one run each in the win. Sean Rutkosky earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief.
Despite the loss, UPB did jump out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Parent's RBI single right back up the middle.
However, Behrend quickly erased the deficit and took a 3-1 lead after scoring one run in the second, one more in the third, and another in the fourth.
Goodliff's sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth brought the Panthers within one run at 3-2.
James then tied it with a solo shot way over the left field wall with two outs in the top of the eighth.
Neither team plated a run in the finale until Boehme dropped an RBI single into right field, leading to the 4-3 victory in walk off fashion.
Penn State Behrend got out to a quick start in the opener, and never looked back, taking game one by a score of 6-1.
Brock Blovsky led the Panther's at the plate with two hits in the opener while Kevin Sompel, James, and Clinger added one hit each in the loss. Ryan Northcott took the loss on the mound, allowing four earned runs while striking out one over six innings.
The Panther's lone run of the game came when Renn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth.
Although the Panther's playoff run has come to an end they will still play a doubleheader at Alfred State on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
