MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- Eastern University Baseball answered a late rally from Penn State-Berks with three run seventh to emerge with a 5-3 win in the second contest between the two squads in South Carolina. The Eagles (6-2) had some struggles at the plate but made the plays in the field to get out of several situations to emerge with the win.

Eastern struck first in the bottom of the third. Andre Butler thought he started the rally when he was hit with a pitch with a only one out in the inning. Because the umpire deemed he did not make sufficient effort to avoid the inside pitch, he came back to the plate to hit. He then scorched a double to right-center and scored when fellow senior Scott Renauro turned on an inside pitch and dropped a a double just inside the left field line. Dave Prager reached on an error, but the Lions ended the rally with their second of three twin-killings on the evening.

The Lions answered that run with a single tally in the fourth off Eastern starter Gary Moses. Moses struck out four and allowed only three hits, but two walks and a pair of wild pitches drove the sophomore's pitch count up and spelled the end of his night.

Eastern squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the fifth as Berks starter Ken Mack pitched out of a jam.

Eastern's Ryan Chenault pitched out of a bases-loaded jam with no one out in the sixth. A lead-off walk, a single to right and a misplayed sacrifice attempt forced the Eastern infield in to cut down the lead runner. Chenault got the first batter to ground to third for a put-out at home and then induced a towering pop-up on the infield for an infield fly rule out. NO Berks runners were able to advance when the wind-blown ball bounced untouched on the left side of the infield. The final Berks batter of the inning rolled a balled to the right side of the infield that Renauro fielded cleanly and flipped to Prager.

Butler again gave the Eagles the lead in the sixth when he came up with the bases loaded. The senior center-fielder barely made contact, but the swinging bunt down the third base line was just short enough to score Devon Ziegenfuss from third. Butler finished the evening 3-for-3 and was on base after each of his five plate appearances. Through the first eight games of the year he is hitting .500 with a .583 on base percentage.

That run would not prove to be enough as the Lions (0-7) put the first runner on in the seventh and tied the game after a balk and a single. Berks took the 3-2 lead when an inherited runner scored on a ground ball single off Lucas Bremmerman. Bremmerman struck out a pair in his one inning of work, and he picked up the win when the Eastern offense knocked around the depleted Berks bullpen in the bottom of the seventh.

"They are much better than their record," Eastern Head Coach Matt Midkiff said of the Berks squad that has been in every game, but has yet to find a win. Berks played a 13 inning game against Averett earlier in the day.

Prager took a pitch off his back to start the inning, and Greg DeSarro doubled down the right field line to keep the rally going. DeSarro has at least one hit in each of Eastern's eight games this Spring.

After a pair of ground ball outs could not bring Prager home from third, Ziegenfuss delivered with a smash off the third base bag to drive in a pair. The speedy right fielder motored to second ahead of the throw to get into scoring position. Ziegenfuss advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the insurance run on an error in the infield.

Ben Melendez pitched around an error in the eighth, and after the Eagles' offense went quietly in the bottom of the eighth, John Taylor closed the game for his second save of the spring.

Taylor's save was not with out drama. The big right-hander pounded the strike zone, but he needed a trio of defensive plays behind him to close the door. Dillon Schwartzer handled a high chopper over the mound and beat the lead-off batter by an eyelash. Schwartzer then made a spectacular diving snare of a ball that seemed ticketed for a base-hit to center. Tyler Orr finished the game with a running catch of a sinking line drive in left.

"We feel pretty good when we can get the game to the big fella [John Taylor]" Midkiff related, "Lucas and Ben did their jobs and we feel like we are getting prepared for what lies ahead in the heart of the season. We had a couple defensive miscues tonight, but on the whole I think we will be a good defensive team, and that will be important."

Eastern finishes spring break with a 9:00 am game against Catholic tomorrow morning.

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