Brandywine Plays To Sunday Split With Mont Alto

ASTON, Pa. -- Penn State Mont Alto overcame a three-run deficit in game one and Penn State Brandywine did the same in game two as the teams split a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Maple Zone. Mont Alto claimed the opener 11-5, while Brandywine secured the nightcap 6-4.

Game One: Penn State Mont Alto 11, Penn State Brandywine 5

Brandywine scored twice in the first inning and added a third run in the second frame to build a 3-0 lead in game one.

Cam Baughman (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) led off the first inning with an infield single and two batters later, pinch runner Dalton Palmer (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) came around to score on Tyler Brooks' (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) base hit. Brooks then stole second and crossed home via a two-out single from Jack Hedger (Oxford, Pa./Oxford).

One inning later, Toby Skeans (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) tripled, allowing Hayden Altimari (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Anthony) to score the Lions' third run.

Mont Alto plated its first two runs in the third inning and took the lead by tacking on three more in the fourth. Brandywine got one back in the bottom of the fourth as Brooks worked a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, but Mont Alto answered with two more runs in the fifth frame and added four runs in the sixth.

Altimari's one-out RBI single accounted for the Lions' fifth run in the fifth inning.

Seven different players recorded a hit for Brandywine, while Brooks knocked in two runs and swiped a pair of bases.

Connor Thompson (Finksburg, Md./Westminster) yielded seven earned runs in 5.0 innings and took the loss, while Luke Michaels pitched 1.1 innings of relief to earn the win for Mont Alto. Thompson fanned three batters.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 6, Penn State Mont Alto 4

Mont Alto produced a three spot in the third inning to get on the board first in game two.

After being held scoreless during the first two innings, Brandywine scored during its final four at-bats, plating single runs in the third and fourth, while scoring twice in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Brooks singled, stole a bag and scored on Nick Wright's (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) double to give Brandywine its first run. The Lions drew within one when Evan Abegg (Commerce City, Colo./Prairie View) singled in Palmer one inning later.

Mont Alto owned a 4-2 edge heading to the bottom of the fifth, but Brandywine rallied to tie the score without needing a hit. A walk and two batters hit by pitches loaded the bases for Shaun Lima (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway), who worked a walk that forced in a run. Mike DeGirolamo (Fredrick, Md./Fredrick) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to knot the score at 4-4.

Brandywine again did not need a hit to plate its final two runs during the bottom of the sixth as two walks and batter hit by a pitch loaded the bases with no outs. Pinch-runner Lamar Thomas (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Performing Arts) crossed home with the go-ahead run via a wild pitch, while Nasir Jackson (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy) added an insurance run when he scored on a wild pitch with two outs.

Dan Nearey (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) threw 70 of his 125 for strikes and went the distance to earn his first win. He fanned four, while allowing four earned runs. Darian More allowed two runs in 0.1 innings and received the loss for Mont Alto.

Brooks paced the offense as he produced two of the Lions' five hits and stole two more bases.

Brandywine (2-3) heads to Florida for six games during Spring Break beginning with Saturday's doubleheader against Crown College at 2:00 PM.