ERIE, Pa. – The record-setting baseball season came to an end this afternoon as the #6 Hilbert Hawks suffered a pair of defeats to #3 Penn State Behrend in the First Round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championship Baseball Tournament.

The Hawks dropped a 4-1 opening game and then battled back but ran out of time in a 9-8 heart-breaker.  Behrend (21-14) moves into the Championship Weekend which is hosted by the #1 La Roche Redhawks next weekend.

Hilbert, at 11-24 overall, set several new single season team and individual records as seniors Eric Flores and Winfred Nelson became the first two graduating players to make a post-season run twice in their four-year career.

Connor Duck went 4-for-7, scored three runs and earned 2RBI today.

Zachary Crane tossed his second complete game of the season (both against the Lions) in the opener and Daniel Munn and Winfred Nelson combined for 5.1 innings with 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs scored in the night cap.

GAME ONE

Behrend jumped out with a 3-0 lead until the Hawks scored their only run in the top of the fourth.  The Lions tacked one more on in the bottom half and held on for the 4-1 win. 

Behrend's ace pitcher sent 13 Hilbert batters back to bench off strike outs limiting the Hawk to three hits all game.

Duck opened the game with a double to right center but was stranded after the next out flipped the inning. 

Duck singled to second and Eric Flores plated him with a single to the right field for the solo run in the fourth.

Crane gave up seven hits, struck out six as he finished his rookie year with a 4-4 record.

GAME TWO

Ian Moran went 3-for-4, scored two runs and added an RBI.  Duck and Ryan Perrin (stolen base) each earned two hits and 2RBI.

Derek Switzer gave up eight hits and nine earned runs on the mound and finished his freshman year with a 3-4 record.

Behrend built a 9-1 score after two complete innings but the Hawks battled back. 

Hilbert tallied seven runs spaced over the next four innings and trailed 9-8 by the top of the 8th.  Neither team manufactured any runs and the game and series ended with Penn State Behrend advancing in the tournament.

Jared Welnowski singled  and moved home off Moran's infield single in the third inning.

Behrend found their groove in the third - hitting four doubles –and extended their lead with seven more runs off six hits.

Tristan Aldinger took a base on balls and sprinted home from second off Perrin's single down the left field line in the fourth.

Treyton delaCuesta and Moran singled at the top of the fifth and both came home off Nelson's fielder's choice hit.  Nelson then was plated by Flores which trimmed the difference to four runs (9-5).

Mathew Sokolski doubled to left center, Moran walked and they both made it home off Duck's triple to center field inching closer in the sixth inning.

The final run was set up by Perrin's single to right field that sent Aldinger home after he doubled himself to second base.

The 2018 baseball team set a new program record with most games played, most tripled, most home runs, most RBI, most walks, most saves, most inning pitched and most putouts.

Freshman Connor Duck made some noise his first year.  He set single season records in most at bats, --- with Eric Flores just five behind him this season.  Duck also finished with the most runs scored, most triples and most assists.

Ian Moran claimed the single season badge for the most hit by pitch stat.

#3 Penn State Behrend moves on into the double elimination tournament and will face #2 Pitt-Greensburg next Thursday, May 10.  #1 La Roche will face the winner of the #4 Pitt-Bradford/#5 Penn State Altoona game which is set for Sunday, May 6 at Bradford.

The AMCC Champion will be crowned Saturday, May 12th and the winner will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA national tournament.

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all your Hilbert Hawks scores and awards by following @HilbertAthletic on Twitter and by liking the "Hilbert College Athletics" Facebook page.  Additionally fans of the Hawks who have an Apple device can receive push notification from the newly created Hilbert College Hawks iOS SIDEARM mobile App which can be found in the Apple Store and ITunes.