Lions Get Big Road Win at Mt. Union

ALLIANCE, Ohio – Ryan Geibel (East Butler, PA/Butler) drove in a season-high five runs to help the Penn State Behrend baseball team defeat Mt. Union 10-4 in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon.

After falling in their last two outings, the Lions (22-8-1) matched their season-best with 10 runs to get back on track.

The Behrend offense got on the board early by scoring two runs in each of the first two innings.  In the first, both Geibel and Nathan Junk (Cabot, PA/Knoch) drove in runs.  In the next inning, Joe Paterniti (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown) and Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) each singled to get things started.  Both runners would later score in the inning to give the Lions a 4-0 lead.

The Purple Raiders were not going to go quietly though.  Mt. Union put up one in the fourth and three in the fifth and suddenly the game was tied at 4-all.

Behrend came right back with four runs of their own.  After a James Verona (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) walk, Paterniti singled for the second time.  The Lions now were in business with runners on first and second with just one out.  Following an out, Evan Bukowski (Washington, PA/Trinity) and Geibel both hit clutch two-out singles to push across runs.

Now with a comfortable 8-4 lead in the eighth, Geibel once again came through with a two-out, two-run single to give Behrend a few insurance runs.  Connor Semple (Washington, PA/McGuffey) threw the final two innings without allowing a run to secure the victory.

Mike Moyer (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) picked up the win for the Lions on the bump with seven innings of work.  Moyer worked his way through 10 Mt. Union hits to only allow two earned runs.

Both Kragnes and Geibel had three hits for the offense.  Paterniti contributed two with three runs scored.

Behrend will be back on the diamond Saturday at La Roche.  Game one of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.