Lions Open Conference Play With Sweep Of Mont Alto

MONT ALTO, Pennsylvania -- Gabe Encarnacion (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) homered during a six-run inning in game one and Carmen Scota (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) fired a complete game shutout in game two as the Penn State Brandywine baseball team swept a doubleheader from Penn State Mont Alto on Sunday. The Lions claimed the opener 7-2 and earned a 1-0 triumph in the nightcap.

Encarnacion sent a two-run shot, his first home run of the season, over the fence during the second inning, starting a six-run rally for Brandywine. Evan Cline (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven) followed with a double and scored on Tom Osenbach's (Newtown Square, Pa./West Chester Christian) base hit before Chris Keenan (Chester, Pa./Strath Haven) knocked in two more runs with a two-out, two-base hit.

Chris Skahill (Media, Pa./Penncrest) scored on Nick Horan's (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) RBI ground out in the fifth inning, accounting for Brandywine's final run.

Brian Pennock (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) earned his first win of the season after tossing all seven innings on the mound. He struck out four, while surrendering just two earned runs.

Cline, Osenbach and Skahill all recorded two hits to pace the Lions' offense.

Scota was dominant on the hill in game two as he twirled the third shutout of his career and second against Mont Alto.

He retired the first seven hitters he faced before allowing a one-out single in the third. Mont Alto loaded the bases later in the frame, but Scota worked out of the jam by striking out the final two batters of the inning.

Chris Torres was the only batter to reach base over the final four innings for Mont Alto and he was quickly erased when Horan, who started both games of the doubleheader behind the plate, caught him stealing in the fifth.

Overall, Scota allowed just two hits and four base runners, while fanning six in seven innings. He evened his record at 1-1 this spring.

Brandywine's lone run came during the fifth inning when Osenbach scored on a wild pitch after singling earlier in the frame. Dan McMenamin (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) recorded two of the Lions' three hits during the game.

Brandywine (4-6, 2-0) faces Ursinus Monday afternoon at 4:00 pm.