In a best of three series with Waynesburg (21-20-1) to determine the 2015 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southwestern Championship, the Penn State Behrend baseball team won twice on Thursday to claim their second straight ECAC title.
In game one, sophomore Jack Herzing was terrific on the hill starting the game and going 5.2 innings with no earned runs allowed. He gave up just two hits and struck out 10.
The Lions (28-12-1) broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third inning with two runs including a two-out RBI single by junior Ryan Finnegan.
After adding a run in the fourth and six innings, Behrend took a commanding 8-2 lead after plating four runs in the seventh. Sophomore Brian Bohman ripped a two-RBI triple to left center while Finnegan and sophomore Brandon Bergstrom followed with RBI doubles.
Sophomore Justin Rohrer entered the game out of the bullpen in the sixth inning and did a good job holding down the Waynesburg offense. He allowed only one earned run and one hit. Herzing and Rohrer together held Waynesburg to just three hits in the game. Herzing picked up his team-leading eighth win of the year while Rohrer notched the save.
The Lions were effective on the base paths swiping five bases. Junior John Hlavinka lifted Behrend with two stolen bases, two runs scored and was 2-for-4 at the plate.
Behrend knocked in the first two runs of game two in the top of the second and held a 2-0 lead through the first four innings. Finnegan drove in two more runs in the fifth with a two-RBI single up the middle. He struck again in the sixth with another two-RBI single that put the Lions ahead 7-1.
With two more runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, Behrend built a 10-1 lead. Senior Connor Semple shut the door on Waynesburg tossing three shutout innings to close out the game. He gave up just one hit and punched out six to earn the save.
Freshman Alex Hajduk threw the first six innings giving up just one run in the fifth. Hajduk notched his third win. Junior Alex Margraf, Bohman, senior Jordan Weinzierl and sophomore Justin Dilla all contributed two hits apiece.
Bohman was named the tournament MVP after going 3-for-7 with three RBI's in the two games.
The Lions finished the season with an overall record of 28-12-1 and notched their second straight ECAC Tournament victory.