Lions salvage series after string of losses to Penn State York

Hazleton, Pa. - Hazleton completed their first conference series of the year on Friday, salvaging the series with a win after three straight losses to the Penn State York baseball squad. Hazleton dropped both ends of Thursday's double-header at Penn State York only to be outdone on their home field in game one on Friday, but the Lions bounced back with timely hitting and solid pitching to win the series finale to stay at .500 in conference play for the season. 

Hazleton struggled at the plate in the double-header on Thursday, collecting just 12 hits in two games on the road. Despite leading 3-1 after two innings of play in game one, Hazleton's defense failed to hold down the York offense as the day progressed with York scoring 10 runs in the fourth and fifth innings of the series opener and went on to win comfortably 12-3. The Lions got a stellar outing from first year pitcher Gavin Wallace in game two. Wallace was touched up for four runs in the second inning, three of which were earned but outside of that crooked inning, Wallace allowed just one hit to the York offense. Hazleton scrambled for a late run in the seventh, using three walks to break up the shut-out but were unable to find the big hit to extend the game, losing game two by the score of 4-1. 

Friday saw the Lions return to their home field in the Hazleton, Pa. and with that came some renewed confidence with the bats. York took a 5-0 lead after their first two at bats but Hazleton bounced right back into the game, getting a pair of RBI doubles in the frame from second year player Maximus Cuevas and fourth year player Eddie Wess. Both squads picked up single scores as the game progressed and York led 8-6 in the bottom half of the sixth inning when Wess struck for his second big hit of the game. With one out, the senior clipped his second home run of the single, a solo shot to left field to get Hazleton within one run, but York saved their best effort for last. Following the home run, Wess took to the mound for the Nittany Lions looking to keep it close but the York squad had other plans in mind. A lead off home run sparked the big inning as York sent eight hitters to the plate, notching five runs and capping the inning with a two run home run to expand their lead to 13-7. Hazleton collected one score in the bottom half of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by third year player Shea Morgan, but the York squad was content to trade the run for an out, closing out the game one batter later to win 13-8. 

As the temperatures dropped early in the evening, the hitters cooled off as well with both teams struggling to produce in game two. First year pitcher Zach Brister played a role in that as well, allowing just two hits to York in the second game. One of those hits came in a two-run, third inning for York where they loaded the bases with the aid of two walks from the Hazleton hurler. Hazleton came back to tie the game with a single run in the fourth and fifth frames. It took four hits and three free passes but Hazleton knotted the score at 2-2. After a clean inning from Brister in the top of the seventh, Hazleton got things going in the bottom half of the inning with a one out single from Eddie Wess and a double by second year player Andrew Meitzler. York would walk the bases loaded to set up the double-play, but a miscue on a tapper to the pitcher spelled defeat for the visitors as Hazleton scored the game winner on a frantic play at the plate for a 3-2 win. 

The Lions wrap up the series with one win in four chances against the York squad. Eddie Wess exploded late in the series, finishing the bouts with York with seven hits in 15 at bats, adding four RBI, two runs scored and two walks. First year Briar Campbell finished the series with hits in each of the final three games after sitting the first game, extending his current hit streak to five games. Despite the three losses, Hazleton saw some excellent pitching efforts from Wallace and Brister. Wallace allowed three earned runs on three hits and four walks in Thursday's game two loss, while Brister was electric in Hazleton lone win on Friday. Brister finished the day with a line of two runs allowed on two hits and five walks, striking out three batters in the victory. 

Next up: Hazleton is off until Friday, April 5 when the Lions take on Penn State Brandywine in a four game series beginning with a road trip to the Maplezone Sports Institute in Media, Pa. Hazleton will then host Brandywine for two games on Satuday, April 6.