Lions secure playoff spot with pair of wins Sunday

Drifton, PA - Penn State Hazleton secured a Penn State University Athletic League postseason birth with a pair of wins on Sunday afternoon. The Nittany Lions controlled their own destiny and came through in resounding fashion with wins against PSU Fayette. Game one took extra frames and heroic effort from Charles Ziegmont to top the opponent 8-7. Game two went back and forth until late in the ballgame, where a big inning boosted the Lions to a 11-5 victory.

Game 1: Penn State Hazleton 8, Penn State Fayette 7 (Final, 8 Innings)

Top 1: Two errors to start the game put runners in scoring position for Fayette, and Seth Krall doubles to left to bring in the first two runs of the game. Four batters later, Trevor Speelman produces the second two RBI double of the inning to put Fayette up 4-0.

Bottom 1: Starlin Colon singles and advances to third base on a single by Joseph Nigito. Ryan Weidick puts the Nittany Lions on the board with a sacrifice fly to score Colon from third.

Top 2: Fayette strings three straight hits together, including a two RBI single from Seth Krall to increase the Fayette advantage to 6-1.

Bottom 3: A pair of doubles from Corey Ryba and Ryan Weidick cut the Fayette lead to four. Weidick collects his second RBI in as many at-bats.

Top 4: Seth Krall adds his fifth RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field. Jon Krall, who doubled and swiped third, scores on the play to make it a 7-2 game in favor of Fayette.

Bottom 4: Max Mott walks and advances to third on a Tyler Myers double to left field. With two out, Colon hits a ground ball for a single to cut the lead to 7-3.

Bottom 5: A walk and two errors plates a fourth Hazleton run to start the inning. With runners on second and third, Thomas Sharp flies out to center, but produces a run in the process as Weidick scores on the play. With two out and a runner on second base, Tyler Myers cuts the Fayette lead to one with an RBI single to score Brain Griest.

Bottom 6: Running for Nigito, Charlie Karchner steals second and advances home to tie the game at 7-7 on two wild pitches.

Bottom 8: Cody Ryba is hit by a pitch to lead off extra frames for Hazleton. After a successful sacrifice, Nigito singles in the infield and Ryba scores the game winner on a throwing error to the plate.

Behind the Box Score:

• After allowing seven runs (three earned) in the first four innings, Zeigmont finds his groove on the mound, allowing just three Fayette batters to reach base from the fourth inning on. Ziegmont pitched to contact all day, throwing an eight inning complete game to pick up his first win of the season.
• Tyler Myers goes four for four at the dish, with a double and RBI.

Game 2: Penn State Hazleton 11, Penn State Fayette 5

Top 1: Fayette draws first blood again with another RBI double by Seth Krall. Krall later scores on an error by the catcher to make it 2-0 ballgame.

Bottom 2: Hazleton claims the lead as Tommy Sharp pounds his third home run of the season, a three run blast to take the lead. Max Mott earns a base on balls and swipes second base to put himself in position to score. A Cody Ryba ground ball produces an error in the Fayette infield, scoring Mott from second base and giving Hazleton a 4-2 lead.

Top 5: A pair of errors allows Fayette to creep back into the game. Mike Haines reaches base and scores on an error from the catcher to cut the lead to one. After singling and reaching third on a hit from the lead-off man, Dylan Jackson ties the game at four apiece on a groundout to second base.

Top 6: Sean Cotton retakes the lead for Fayette with solo home run to left field to lead off the inning.

Bottom 6: With one away, the Nittany Lions string together six consecutive hits including a two RBI double from Cody Ryba and an RBI triple from brother Corey. The Lions add five runs to blow the game open, when Charlie Karchner seals the victory with a two run home run capping the seven run sixth inning.

Behind the Box Score:

• Colon picks up a team high third win, throwing seven innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and striking out three.
• Nigito adds five hits on the day, upping his batting average to .469 for the season.
• Brian Griest goes three for four in game two, adding an run scored and one RBI.

Next Up: Monday, the Lions are slated to play a double header at 2 PM with Worthington Scranton, make up games from poor weather last week. Win or lose tomorrow, Penn State Hazleton secures the sixth seed in the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs, to begin Wednesday at the Penn State Mont Alto campus.