Baseball Earns PSUAC Split

MEDIA, Pennsylvania -- Penn State Brandywine rallied from three runs down to send game one to extra innings, but Penn State Mont Alto held off the Lions for a 4-3 victory; however, Brandywine answered with a 5-2 triumph in the nightcap to salvage a split of the PSUAC baseball doubleheader.

Mont Alto built a 3-0 lead through six innings of the opener, but Brandywine struck for three scores to tie the game in the seventh. Dan McMenamin (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) reached on an error with one out and moved to second on Doug Medrano's (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) base hit. Kevin Dougherty's (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) pinch-hit single scored McMenamin and, after a ground out plated a second run, John Gorgone (Ridley, Pa./Ridley) delivered a game-tying double into the left field corner, scoring Pat Tackney (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown).

However, Mont Alto answered with a run in the top of the eighth and held off Brandywine in its last at-bat to claim the victory.

Tom Osenbach (Newtown Square, Pa./West Chester Christian) and Medrano both produced a pair of hits, while Joe Samohod (Folsom, Pa./Ridley) pitched all eight innings, but took the loss. Samohod struck out three and allowed four earned runs on 10 hits.

Brandywine jumped out early on Mont Alto in game two, scoring three runs in the third to grab a 3-0 edge. Tommy Crumlish (Upper Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) scored on a balk before Medrano delivered a two-run single, his second of three hits during game two and five overall on the day.

Brandywine pitcher Troy Mucchetti (Haverford, Pa./Haverford) set down the first nine batters he faced before running into trouble in the fourth. Mont Alto recorded back-to-back, run-scoring singles, but Mucchetti worked out of further trouble by rolling a double play ball to end the inning.

The Lions padded their lead with two more scores in the sixth as Steve Trainor (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and Dougherty both knocked in runs. Mucchetti then set down Mont Alto in order to complete the victory.

Mucchetti fanned three and surrendered just one earned run on five hits in seven innings of work. Medrano tallied three of Brandywine's five hits, while Brandywine hitters worked eight walks.

Brandywine (7-13, 3-1 PSUAC) hosts Marywood on Wednesday at 4:00 pm.