Lions Overcome Hazleton; Sweep Three-Game Series

MEDIA, Pa. -- After winning game one 6-1, Penn State Brandywine overcame a 4-0 deficit by scoring the final five runs of the game, including two in the bottom of the seventh inning, to top Penn State Hazleton 5-4 and finish off a three-game sweep on Friday afternoon.

Tyler Michaels (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) limited Hazleton to three singles over 7.0 innings in game one as he went the distance for his third win. Michaels, who struck out four, brought a no-hitter into the fourth inning before it was broken up by a two-out base hit.

The Lions built Michaels a 3-0 lead after one inning and tacked on one more in the second before putting the game out of reach with three scores in the sixth.

John Gorgone (Ridley, Pa./Ridley) led off the first inning with a triple and scored on Brian Reynolds' (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) two-out base hit. Kevin Roche (Malvern, Pa./Chaminade College Prep (Calif.)) and Will Scott-Norris (Wilmington, Del./Mt. Pleasant) followed with consecutive doubles to push two more runs across.

Robert Spitaletta (Glen Ridge, N.J./Glen Ridge) added RBI singles in the second and sixth, while Gorgone tacked on a run-scoring single and Matt Masi (West Chester, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) tripled in a run in the sixth.

Brandywine's top six hitters in the lineup all recorded at least one hit and Gorgone, Spitaletta and Reynolds recorded multi-hit performances.

Hazleton plated two runs in the first and two more in the third inning of game two and Adam Michalesko, like Michaels earlier in the day, held a no-hitter deep into the contest for Hazleton before it was broken up by Tommy Crumlish's (Upper Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) double to open up the fifth.

Crumlish scored the first run of the nightcap for the Lions on T.J. Wiest's (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) groundout later in the frame.

Brandywine crept within one run in the sixth as Masi doubled in Spitaletta and later scored the Lions' third run.

Brandywine needed just one hit to score the game-tying and game-winning runs in the seventh as Brett Sheeran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) reached on an error with one out and moved to second when Gorgone was hit by a pitch. Spitaletta followed with a base hit that scored Sheeran, tying the score at 4-4. After Masi was intentionally walked to load the bases, Reynolds worked a base on balls to force Gorgone across home with the game-ending run.

Chris Skahill (Media, Pa./Penncrest) earned his first win of the year in relief of Kevin Sessa (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara). Skahill limited Hazleton to just two hits over the final four innings after Sessa surrendered four unearned runs during the first three innings, while striking out two.

Spitaletta recorded two more hits in game two for his third multi-hit game during the last four days.

Brandywine (11-15, 9-2 PSUAC) hosts Central Penn for a Senior Day doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2:00 pm.