Brandywine Handles York; Stays In Front In PSUAC East

ASTON, Pa. – The Penn State Brandywine baseball team won both ends of a doubleheader against Penn State York on Monday night, helping to hold their half-game lead for the top seed in the Penn State University Athletic Conference's Eastern Division. The Lions claimed game one 6-1 and won the nightcap 11-1 in five innings.

Brandywine scored in each of the first four innings in game one, taking the lead for good in the second inning when Kevin Dougherty (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) scored following a York error, one of four made by the visitors in the game, to give the Lions a 2-1 edge.

Dougherty and Kevin Roche (Malvern, Pa./Chaminade College Prep) both added RBI singles in the fourth, while John Gorgone (Ridley, Pa./Ridley) and Matt Masi (West Chester, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) each tacked on sacrifice flies one frame later, capping the scoring.

Joe Samohod (Folsom, Pa./Ridley) bested York for the second time this season and picked up his third win of the spring overall. He went the first 6.0 innings on the mound, striking out six, while allowing just one earned run on five hits. Nate Forwood (Wilmington, Del./Mt. Pleasant) shut the door in the seventh, fanning one.

Dougherty, Brett Sheeran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield), Robert Spitaletta (Glen Ridge, N.J./Glen Ridge) and T.J. Wiest (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) all recorded two knocks to account for eight of Brandywine's 10 hits.

After being limited to one run, a Brian Reynolds' (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) RBI single that scored Gorgone in the first, over the opening three innings of game two, Brandywine exploded for 10 runs during its next two at-bats to pull away from York.

Sheeran gave Brandywine a 3-1 advantage when his fourth-inning base hit plated Roche and Joey Buoni (Chester Heights, Pa./Salesianum). Two more runs scored on a Spitaletta groundout and a York error.

The first five Brandywine hitters in the fifth all reached base with a hit as Reynolds led off with a double, moved to third on Roche's base hit and both scored when Buoni doubled. Tommy Crumlish (Upper Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) followed with an RBI single and crossed home when Sheeran lifted a single to left. Masi ended the game by driving in two runs with a two-out triple.

Sheeran recorded his second two-hit game of the night, knocked in three runs and scored twice, while Buoni went 3-for-3 at the plate and added two RBI and two runs. Crumlish and Reynolds also registered a pair of hits in game two.

Joe Batcho (Wood-Ridge, N.J./Wood-Ridge) earned his first collegiate victory after scattering five hits and allowing one earned run, while throwing a complete game. He fanned five in 5.0 innings.

Winner of 11 of its last 13 games, Brandywine (14-16, 11-2 PSUAC) hosts Clarks Summit on Wednesday at 4:00 pm during the team's final home game of the season.