Lions Overcome Seventh-Inning Deficits In Sweep At GA

WOODLAND HILLS, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine baseball team trailed entering its final at-bat in each game on Saturday afternoon, but rallied to pull off a pair of PSUAC victories at Penn State Greater Allegheny. The Lions won game one 7-4 in eight innings and claimed the finale 7-5.

Brandywine overcame a two-run deficit in the final inning to win game one. The Lions scored twice to tie the game in the seventh and then went ahead in the eighth with a three-run frame.

Kevin Dougherty (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on Kevin Roche's (Malvern, Pa./Chaminade College Prep) base hit. Pat Tackney (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) brought the Lions within one after doubling in Dougherty and two batters later, Steven Trainor (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) knotted the score at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly.

After relief pitcher Nate Forwood (Wilmington, Del./Mt. Pleasant) set down GA in order in the seventh, Dan McMenamin (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) walked to get the three-run eighth inning started. McMenamin advanced to third on Dougherty's one-out single and Roche, Tackney and Doug Medrano (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) followed with consecutive RBI singles for the Lions.

Forwood allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the frame, but rolled a double play ball and got Mark Pfleger to ground out to first to end the game.

Forwood, who earned his first win of the season, extended his scoreless streak to 10 innings following a pair of shutout frames. He has not surrendered an earned run in eight relief appearances this spring.

Brandywine was in a 2-0 hole after three innings, but quickly tied the score behind run-scoring singles from Tom Osenbach (Newtown Square, Pa./West Chester Christian) and Tommy Crumlish (Upper Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) in the fourth.

GA took the lead on a bases-loaded groundout in the fifth and padded its lead on Adam Jacko's RBI single in the sixth.

Tackney, Osenbach, Dougherty and Roche all collected two hits and Dougherty and Roche both scored a pair of runs.

The Lions took an early 3-0 lead in the nightcap as Trainor singled in Tackney in the first and Roche doubled home a pair of runners one inning later.

Brandywine starter Joe Samohod (Folsom, Pa./Ridley) brought a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Pfleger's one-out single broke it up. GA then put together a two-out rally, piecing together five consecutive singles and scoring five runs to grab a 5-3 lead.

Brandywine again had an answer in the seventh as three of the first four batters reached base in the inning to load the bases. Tackney was hit by a pitch, bringing in the first run before Medrano's two-run single gave Brandywine the lead at 6-5. Trainor added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.

Forwood came in to close in the bottom of the seventh and, after allowing a leadoff single, induced another double play, and got Zach Craven to fly out to end the game, earning his third save of the year. Dave DiMeglio (Morton, Pa./Ridley) claimed his second win in after retiring the final batter during the sixth inning in relief of Samohod.

Dougherty went 2-for-3 during the nightcap, while Medrano, Roche and Trainor each drove in a pair of runs.

Brandywine (13-14, 9-1 PSUAC), which owns a two-game lead in the loss column over three PSUAC teams, faces Penn State Beaver Sunday at noon.