Nittany Lions split homestand with Penn State York

Berwick, Pa. - Forced off their home field by weather conditions, the Nittany Lions were welcomed by Berwick Area High School for their Sunday double-header with Penn State York. Hazleton was sharp on the mound and in the batters box in game one, taking the opening match by a score of 6-3, but the bats cooled off in game two as Hazleton fell 7-1 with York spoiling the Nittany Lions efforts to get to .500 in Penn State University Athletic conference play.

Game 1: Penn State Hazleton 6, Penn State York 3

Freshman Austin Felter (Susquehanna, Pa.) pitched six strong innings of three run ball, allowing just four hits to the York offense. Felter also got the job done at the plate along with teammate sophomore Tyler Myers (Nanticoke, Pa.). The duo combined for five of Hazleton's 11 hits, three RBI and three runs scored on their way to victory. The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early 5-1 advantage over York through the first two innings of play. York cut the lead to two with a pair of scores in the third frame but the Lions pitching and defense held strong, blanking the York bats in their final four at bats. Hazleton added an insurance run in the sixth inning providing a nice cushion for freshman Daniel Gilligan (Charlton, Ma.) who relieved Felter in the seventh inning, earning the save in the 6-3 Hazleton victory.

Top 1st

York gets on the board first with an RBI fielder's choice by Walker Monteith bringing in Levi Stein who doubled earlier in the inning.

Bottom 1st

Felter leads off with a double and advances to third on an infield single from Tyler Myers. Senior Corey Ryba (McAdoo, Pa.) drives in the first Nittany Lion run with a single to left field as Hazleton starts the game with three straight hits. A sacrifice fly from sophomore Charles Ziegmont (Tallahassee, Fl.) brings in Myers to put the Lions on top 2-1.

Bottom 2nd

The Lions get the first four batters aboard and score three runs in the second frame on five hits. With two on and no outs, Felter doubles to left field to bring in senior Richard Hobbs (Central Islip, Ny.). Myers follows with and RBI single, then comes around to score on a single from Gilligan putting Hazleton on top 5-1 after two innings of play.

Top 3rd

Nick Shuler doubles to drive in a run as York cuts into the Lions four run advantage. Later in the frame, Derek Starner drives a single past the Lions third baseman to bring in a second York score, tightening the contest at 5-3 in favor of Hazleton.

Bottom 6

Richard Hobbs leads off the inning with an infield single and moves up to second on a goundout. With two outs, Myers adds his third hit of the game, a single to left centerfield, scoring Hobbs and providing Hazleton with a 6-3 lead which held up in the seventh inning.

Top Performers

Felter settled in after the third inning, retiring nine of 10 batters faced in the fourth, fifth, and six innings to hold York to just three runs on four hits. Felter walked five and hit two batters but was able to work out of trouble to earn his first win of the season.

Tyler Myers led the Hazleton offense with three hits in four plate appearances, notching two RBI and two runs scored. Felter finished 2-4 with an RBI and Richard Hobbs finished 1-2 with a walk and two runs scored to round out the top Hazleton hitters.

Nick Schuler pitched 4.1 innings for York in a solid relief outing, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four batters. Schhuler also finished 1-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored while teammate Levi Stein went 1-2 with a pair of runs scored for York.

Game 2: Penn State York 7, Penn State Hazleton 1

Penn State York jumped on the Nittany Lions pitching early in game two, tallying six scores in the first three innings of play which proved more than enough offense for their hurler Levi Stein. Stein sat down the first nine Hazleton hitters before allowing a hit and then continued to stymie the Lions offense. Hazleton managed just two hits in game two, scoring their only run in the final frame via the sacrifice fly, dropping game two to York by a final score of 7-1.

Top 1st

A double and a wild pitch got York's Tyler Spencer put the York offense in business in the first frame. Spencer would come in to score on a sacrifice fly by Walker Monteith, giving York a 1-0 lead before taking the field.

Top 2nd

A pair of walks left runners aboard for Derek Starner who singled in the second York score of the game with one out in the inning. Hazleton had trouble finding the strike zone, issuing a base loaded walk for a second York score, and ground ball with the bases loaded plates a third score for the visitors. Hazleton allows just one hit in the inning, but four walks aid York in taking a 4-0 advantage after two innings.

Top 3rd

Singles from Tyler and Spencer drive in two more York scores as the visitors extend their lead to 6-0.

Top 7th

A walk and a stolen base by Nick Schuler puts a runner in scoring position for York to lead off the final inning. Alex Peters delivers an RBI double to right field, putting York up 7-0.

Bottom 7th

Freshman Paul Jay Wiegand (Berwick, Pa.) doubles to lead off the inning, just the second hit of the game for the Nittany Lions. Wiegand would come in to score on sacrifice fly by junior Aaron Glass (Shippensburg, Pa.) to break up the shut out, but the Nittany Lions would run out of outs, falling by the final score of 7-1.

Top Performers

Freshman Joseph Bissol (Washington Crossing, Pa.) pitched 3.1 innings of relief for the Lions, allowing two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks. 

Wiegand and Dan Gilligan picked up the only two hits for the Lions, both doubles, with Wiegand scoring Hazleton's lone run on the Glass sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Levi Stein pitched a complete game for York, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out two Hazleton hitters for the win.

Derek Starner led the York offense going 2-4 at the plate with two RBI and one run scored. Tyler Spencer went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI while teammate Walker Monteith added two RBI to round out the top York hitters.

Next Up

The Nittany Lions split with York to earn their first PSUAC victory on the season. They'll hit the field next on Tuesday, April 12 when Penn State Schuylkill visits Hazleton for a 2:00 p.m. double-header in Drifton, Pa.