Early Spark Fades as Beaver Falls to Hazleton
A fast start gave Penn State Beaver early momentum, but Penn State Hazleton responded with a decisive middle-inning surge to hand the Lions an 11–2 loss.
Myrtle Beach, SC - Beaver came out swinging and grabbed an early lead, but a powerful middle-innings surge by Penn State Hazleton flipped the momentum and carried Hazleton to an 11–2 victory on March 11, 2026 at the Ripken Sports Complex. Beaver struck quickly with two runs in the opening frame, but the bats cooled after the first while Hazleton steadily built its lead and pulled away.
The game turned in the third inning after Hazleton erased the early deficit and took control. Beaver's 2–0 lead was trimmed to 2–1 in the bottom of the first, then Hazleton broke through with a four-run third to move in front for good. Hazleton added single runs in the fourth, three more in the fifth, and two in the sixth, while Beaver was held scoreless from the second inning on and couldn't generate a late rally.
For Penn State Beaver, Mason Hsu led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk, including an extra-base hit. Christopher Cann added a hit, a run, and a walk, while Philip Betz went 2-for-2 with an RBI single in the opening inning. Benjamin Ogle drove in a run as well, and Matthew Helmer Jr. chipped in a hit, but Beaver's lineup managed just six hits overall and left multiple chances on base.
In the end, Beaver's fast start wasn't enough to offset Hazleton's sustained pressure and a decisive third inning that flipped the game. Despite a few bright spots at the plate early, Beaver couldn't string together offense after the first, and Hazleton's continued scoring created too large a gap to overcome.
The team is 1-7 on the season with a 0-0 conference record. The team will play their last Spring Training game tomorrow, March 12th at 9am when they take on Northampton at The Ripken Experience. For all things Penn State Beaver Baseball go to beaverathletics.com!