Brandywine Rides Hot Offense Past Hazleton

BERWICK, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine baseball team scored 37 runs during a three-game sweep of Penn State Hazleton, including 12 on Sunday as the Lions claimed the series finale by a score of 12-3.

Brandywine belted 15 hits in the victory, with five going for extra bases. Three players - Matt Masi (West Chester, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara), Brett Sheeran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) and Chris Skahill (Media, Pa./Penncrest) turned in three-hit efforts to pace the offense.

The Lions doubled their 2-0 lead to four runs in the fifth when Masi and Tommy Crumlish (Upper Darby, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) both pushed in runs with a sacrifice fly. One inning later, Skahill's RBI single upped the lead to six.

Brandywine busted the game open in the eighth inning, plating five runs. Sheeran singled with one out and came around to score on a Crumlish triple. After Masi reached on an infield single, Brian Reynolds (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) delivered a run-scoring base hit and Joey Buoni (Chester Heights, Pa./Salesianum) knocked in two more runs with a double, while Brendan Ricciardi (Media, Pa./Strath Haven) added a pinch-hit RBI single.

Solo home runs by Skahill and Masi capped the Lions' scoring during the ninth inning. For Masi, it was his eighth home run of the season, passing Tom Osenbach's previous single-season program record of seven home runs set in 2014. Masi, now tied for the national lead in long balls, has homered four times in 22 at-bats against conference opponents.

Kevin Sessa (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) earned his team-leading fourth victory of the season after firing seven innings, striking out five, while allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. Sessa owns a 3-0 record with a 0.46 ERA in four appearances against PSUAC opponents this spring.

Brandywine (10-12, 6-1 PSUAC) begins a six-game week Tuesday at Eastern University (3:30 PM).