Penn State Beaver Baseball Drops 1st Game of Spring Trip
Penn State Schuylkill wins 6-5 in walk off fashion in Game 1 of Beaver's spring trip.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
|
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0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3 |
Myrtle Beach, SC- Penn State Beaver dropped a tight 6–5 decision to Penn State Schuylkill on March 7 at The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, with the game swinging on a late run in the bottom of the seventh. Beaver struck first in the opening inning when JT Stubbs came home on Ben Ogle's sacrifice fly, but Schuylkill answered with a two-run second and added two more in the third to build a 4–1 edge. Beaver chipped away in the fourth—highlighted by Matt Helmer's RBI single—and continued to apply pressure as the game moved into the middle innings, keeping the contest within one score despite 13 strikeouts at the plate.
Offensively, Beaver totaled seven hits and drew three walks, with Ogle leading the way by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs plus the early sac fly that produced the first run. Helmer finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base, while Rheece Barone added a double as part of a 1-for-4 day and scored a run. Chris Cann reached base three times (1-for-2 with two walks), and Justin Lambert went 1-for-4 and scored, helping set the table during Beaver's comeback pushes. Beaver's other RBI came from Philip Betz, who drove in a run on a fielder's choice, though the lineup also left nine runners on and Stubbs reached base via other means but went 0-for-4 while scoring twice.
On the mound, Justin Perera worked 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts, keeping Beaver in range through the early deficit. Nick Hayes followed with 2.0 innings in relief, giving up one run on two hits while striking out four, but Beaver ultimately couldn't prevent the walk-off run in the seventh. In the end, Beaver's timely hits from Ogle and Helmer and a steady relief stint from Hayes nearly completed the rally, but the late deciding run and a few missed opportunities with runners aboard proved to be the difference in a one-run loss.
