WASHINGTON – Conference play got underway here Saturday as Gallaudet University hosted Penn St.-Berks at Hoy Field for a nine-inning game on a sunny but cool afternoon. The visiting Nittany Lions won the United East Conference opener, 10-6.
Gallaudet (6-13, United East) took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when senior
Austin Sliva-Wynne (Rosenberg, Texas) singled up the middle to bring home fellow senior
Darren Drolsbaugh (Lansdale, Pa.).
Penn St.-Berks (2-6, 1-0 United East) responded with a run in the second to knot the game at 1-1 and broke things open in the top of the third with five runs. GU made two costly errors in the third that extended the inning for the visitors and allowed Penn St.-Berks to score additional runs.
The Bison began to chip away at the 6-1 lead in the bottom of the third with two runs as Sliva-Wynne singled home Drolsbaugh, again, and junior catcher
Salvador Diaz (Norwalk, Calif.) tripled down the right field line to plate Sliva-Wynne.
GU scored its fourth run in the bottom of the fourth to draw even closer to the Nittany Lions, 6-4.
The game remained a two-run lead for Penn St.-Berks until later in the game. The Nittany Lions scored two runs in the seventh and one additional run in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Sophomore
Johnathan Guerrero (Indio, Calif.) singled up the middle in the bottom of the eighth inning to knock in two additional Bison runs and cut the lead to 9-6.
Nittany Lion reliever Jake Murgitroyde picked up the three plus innings save for his second of the season while starter Josh Miller (2-1) got the win after he threw 5.1 innings and struck out five batters and walked none.
Guerrero (2-1) started on the mound and took the loss as he allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits, three walks and struck out three. Drolsbaugh pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, one walk and struck out two.
Diaz led the Bison at the plate as he went 3-for-5 and was a home run shy of the cycle. GU had five players record two or more hits each. Every batter for Gallaudet recorded at least one hit.
UP NEXT
GU will host the Nittany Lions in a doubleheader tomorrow (Sunday, March 19) at noon.