Grace Walks Off With Victory Over Brandywine

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Grace College pushed four runs across during the bottom of the seventh inning to score a 10-8 victory over the Penn State Brandywine baseball team on Sunday night during the Lions' second of two games on the day. Earlier in the evening, Miami-Hamilton topped Brandywine 9-3.

Prior to the Lancers' rally, the Lions had scored five runs over their final two at-bats, overcoming a 6-3 deficit entering the sixth inning, to take an 8-6 advantage.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Joey Buoni (Chester Heights, Pa./Salesianum) delivered a two-run double, making the score 6-5. The Lions tied the game when Matt Masi (West Chester, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) followed with an RBI single, scoring Buoni. Masi had gotten the scoring started during the first inning when he legged out an inside-the-park home run off the center field wall.

Brandywine took the lead in the top of the seventh by plating a pair of runs. Kevin Dougherty (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) reached on an error to lead off the inning and came around to score on Will Scott-Norris' (Wilmington, Del./Mt. Pleasant) pinch-hit single. Three batters later, Buoni added a run-scoring groundout.

However, Chase Baker answered for Grace by scoring all three runners with a bases-clearing, two-out double during the bottom of the seventh inning to walk the Lancers off with a win.

Masi, Tommy Crumlish (Upper Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) and Brian Reynolds (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) all registered two hits for Brandywine, while Buoni knocked in three runs during game one.

In game one, Brandywine led 1-0 through two innings, but the Harriers tied the game in the third before taking the lead one frame later by pushing across a pair of runs. Miami Hamilton pulled away after scoring four unearned runs in the eighth inning.

Dougherty registered two hits and drove in one, while Buoni and John Gorgone (Ridley, Pa./Ridley) also had two hits each and Crumlish scored a pair of runs.

Brandywine faces Penn State Fayette (1:00 pm) and Olivet Nazarene (7:00 pm) on Monday night in Vero Beach.