Lions Cruise Past Fredonia St.

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team defeated Fredonia St. 9-1 in non-conference action on Thursday afternoon.  The Lions pounded out 15 hits in their final tune-up before Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play begins on Wednesday.

The top four hitters in the Behrend lineup combined to go 10-16 with seven runs scored and six RBIs.

The Lions (9-6) got off to a quick start in the first inning with four straight hits.  Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park), Evan Bukowski (Washington, PA/Trinity), and Matt Bittner (Lancaster, NY/St. Mary's) hit three consecutive doubles to get the scoring going.  Ryan Geibel (East, Butler, PA/Butler) followed with a single and suddenly Behrend was up 2-0 early.

After a scoreless second, Behrend put up another two runs in the third and fourth.  Tommy Kocur (Erie, PA/McDowell) doubled home two in the third.  In the fourth, Bukowski hit a two-run single to plate Kragnes and Ryan Finnegan (Fombell, PA/Riverside) to put the Lions up 6-0.

That was all Dante DeSantis (DuBois, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) needed to earn his second win of the season.  DeSantis did not allow a hit until his last inning of work in the fifth.  The sophomore pitcher struck out seven batters and only walked one.

After the Blue Devils put up a run in the eighth, Behrend came back with three of their own in the bottom half.  Following two RBI doubles by Kragnes and Bittner, Joe Paterniti (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown) singled in another run to push the advantage to 9-1.  Jory Okerlund (Smethport, PA/Smethport) shut the door in the ninth to give Behrend their second straight win.

Vinny Rice (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley) joined the top four hitters with multiple hits.  Rice contributed a single and a double.  The Lions' pitching staff struck out nine Fredonia St. batters and only allowed one run.

Behrend will be back on the diamond Wednesday for their first AMCC games.  The doubleheader at Hilbert is scheduled for 1 p.m.