Brandywine Wins Two On Opening Day

ASTON, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine rallied from four runs down to win game one 6-4 and then rolled 8-2 in the second game to sweep a season-opening doubleheader from SUNY Cobleskill on Saturday afternoon at Maple Zone.

Game One
Brandywine spotted Cobleskill a four-run lead as the Tigers scored twice in the first inning and plated two more runs one frame later.

The Lions were held off the scoreboard until the fourth inning when Tom Donahue's (Ridley, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) two-out single scored Nick Kutufaris (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara).

After Nick Wright's (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) fifth-inning sacrifice fly got Brandywine within two, the Lions scored four times with two outs in the sixth to take the lead. Following a throwing error that extended the inning, Joe Hurley (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) walked to load the bases. Brian Reynolds (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) and Ben Mutz (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven) were both issued bases on balls, forcing in two runs to tie the score before Sean Donahue (Ridley, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) delivered a bloop single to center, scoring two runs.

Mutz loaded the bases with Tigers in the seventh with one out, but got a strikeout looking and after strike three was dropped, tagged out the runner from third trying to advance home to end the game.

Mutz struck out two during his one inning of work to earn the save. Derek Cappadoccia (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains) recorded 1.2 perfect innings in relief of Tyler Michaels (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley), striking out two, to claim his first college victory. Michaels fanned four and yielded four earned runs on five hits in 4.1 frames.

Sean Donahue recorded a pair of hits, one of eight Lions to tally a knock in game one.

Game Two

Brandywine took an early 2-0 lead when Mutz singled in Tom Donahue and Hurley with two outs in the first inning.

Cobleskill knotted the score at 2-2 in the fourth inning, but Hurley delivered a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the frame to put Brandywine back in front. He then stole home on a delayed double steal to up the margin to 6-2. Hurley added another three-base hit, this one scoring two runs in the fifth to account for the remainder of the scoring.

Hurley went 2-for-3 at the plate, crossing home twice, while driving in five. Tom Donahue scored three runs, while Dalton Palmer (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) legged out a pair of bunt singles. Mutz recorded two of Brandywine's seven stolen bases. The Lions swiped 12 bags in 13 attempts overall on Saturday.

Ricky Palmer (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) was the winning pitcher as he fanned two over three scoreless innings in relief of Nick Petrella (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley). Petrella recorded one strike out and surrendered two earned runs on three hits during the first four innings.

Brandywine and SUNY Cobleskill play two more games Sunday at Maple Zone beginning at noon.