Power Surge Not Enough In Lions’ 9-8 Setback

LAKELAND, Fla. – Matt Masi (West Chester, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and Brian Reynolds (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) combined for three home runs and seven hits overall, but the Penn State Brandywine baseball team suffered a 9-8 loss to Westminster College (Pa.) at Henley Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Masi went 3-for-4 at the plate, recording a triple in addition to his pair of long balls, while Reynolds collected four hits in five at-bats. Overall, Brandywine totaled 13 hits, including five that went for extra bases.

Masi and Reynolds combined to put Brandywine in front during the first inning as Masi tripled with two outs and scored when Reynolds singled through the left side of the infield.

Westminster tied the score during the bottom half of the inning, but Masi put the Lions back in front, slamming a two-run homer over the left field fence in the third. Masi added his second long ball of the day two frames later, leading off the fifth inning with a solo shot that made the score 5-2.

Brandywine added to its lead as Anthony Polanco (Long Island, N.Y./West Babylon) tacked on an RBI single in the fifth and Reynolds knocked in Chris Skahill (Media, Pa./Penncrest) with a base hit one frame later.

However, the Titans rallied, scoring three times in the seventh before taking the lead with a four-run eighth inning, capped off by Brandon Rossier's bases-clearing double, his fifth hit of the game.

Reynolds solo blast to start the ninth inning brought Brandywine within one. The next batter, Brett Sheeran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield), reached on an error, but Brandywine could not push the tying run across.

Masi and Reynolds each knocked in three runs, while Skahill added a pair of hits and Will Scott-Norris crossed home twice. Joey Buoni (Chester Heights, Pa./Salesianum) took the loss on the mound after allowing nine runs, only four of which were earned, and striking out three in 7.2 innings.

Brandywine (2-8) closes out play in Florida on Thursday morning with a doubleheader against Emerson (Mass.) at 9:00 am.