Brandywine Earns Split With Eastern Mennonite

DAVENPORT, Fla. – Penn State Brandywine dropped the opener 8-4, but exploded for seven runs during the 10^th inning to claim game two 13-6 during a doubleheader split against Eastern Mennonite on Sunday afternoon.

Game One: Eastern Mennonite 8, Penn State Brandywine 4

Brandywine did all of its scoring during the first two innings as the Royals overcame a 4-2 deficit by scoring the final six runs to claim the opener 8-4.

The Lions' first three batters reached base during the bottom of the first. After a single by Nick Wright (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) and a walk to Cam Baughman (Oxford, Pa./Oxford), Evan Abegg (Commerce City, Colo./Prairie View) reached via error, allowing Wright to score. Three batters later, Jaylen Bryant (Brooklyn, N.Y./High School of Telecommunications) delivered a two-out, two-run double to make the score 3-2.

Brandywine added a fourth run during the second inning when Abegg lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Ryan Brown (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem).

EMU evened the score at 4-4 by plating two runs in the fourth inning. The Royals took the lead by scoring once in the fifth and then tacked on three more in the sixth inning.

Wright and Ryan Snyder (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) both recorded two hits, while Abegg and Bryant drove in two runs each for the Lions.

Dan Nearey (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) went the first five innings on the mound, striking out two, while allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 13, Eastern Mennonite 6 (10 innings)

Brandywine sent 11 men to the plate, scoring seven runs on six hits, during the 10^th inning to claim game two.

Jesse Davis (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) led off the 10^th with a base hit and scored on Snyder's single. Kyle Oechsle (Coopersburg, Pa./Palisades) followed with a single that plated two runs, while Max Tavarez (Woodbridge, N.J./Woodbridge) worked a bases-loaded walk to force in another run. Wright provided the final blow, clearing the bases with a double down the left field line.

Brandywine overcame six errors as four of the Royals' six runs were unearned. EMU put three runs on the board in the first, taking advantage of a trio of Brandywine miscues, and added three more runs to tie the score in the sixth.

The Lions put five runs on the board in the second thanks to three run-scoring doubles. Oechsle, Abegg and Baughman all recorded RBI, two-base hits, while Tavarez accounted for the fifth run with an RBI groundout.

Evan Shade (Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) matched a Brandywine single-game record by recording five hits in six at-bats and scored twice during his first start of the season. Baughman, Brown, Davis and Oechsle all tallied two hits. Oechsle and Wright both registered three RBI, while Baughman and Tavarez drove in two runs.

Bryant pitched the first five innings on the mound, allowing six runs (two earned), while striking out four. Michael Govan (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) also fanned four over four scoreless innings of relief, while Snyder pitched the 10^th, striking out two.

After a day off, Brandywine (4-3) faces Northland College at 3:45 PM Tuesday in Davenport.