Six-Run First Inning Leads Brandywine Past Ursinus

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. -- A grand slam off the bat of Brendan Ricciardi (Media, Pa./Strath Haven) highlighted a six-run first inning for the Penn State Brandywine baseball team as the Lions held off a late charge from the homestanding Bears and topped Ursinus 12-10 on Wednesday afternoon.

Ricciardi's slam capped a frame that saw Brandywine send 10 men to the plate, collecting four hits. Andre Pendleton (Narberth, Pa./Harriton) delivered a bases-loaded single for Brandywine's first run, while Joey Buoni (Chester Heights, Pa./Salesianum) added an RBI on a fielder's choice before Ricciardi sent his home run over the right-center field wall two batters later.

The Lions added single runs via Bear errors in the second and sixth innings and tallied a score when Ricciardi crossed home on a Crumlish ground out in the third, building a 9-3 lead over Ursinus.

The margin reached 12-3 after Pendleton and Brian Reynolds (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) added RBI base hits in the seventh and Chris Skahill (Media, Pa./Penncrest) tacked on a sacrifice fly one frame later.

The Lions had to hold off a late Ursinus rally after the Bears plated four runs in the eighth and used a two-run home run in the ninth to get within two. Tyler Michaels (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley), who pitched the final 1.2 innings, got the last two batters to ground out to end the contest, giving starting pitcher Chris Edwards (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) his first victory.

Edwards went the first 5.2 innings on the hill, fanning five Bears, while allowing three earned runs and scattering nine hits. Michaels and fellow reliever Bradley Ulmer (Newark, Del./St. George's Tech) both collected one strikeout during 1.2 innings on the mound.

Ricciardi went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Pendleton posted a three-hit day and Crumlish added a pair of knocks and scored twice. Reynolds worked four walks and came around to score three times.

Brandywine (13-15, 8-3 PSUAC) opens a three-game series with Penn State Scranton on its home field Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm.