READING, Pa– In a final non-league tune-up heading into the last MAC Commonwealth series of the year, Eastern University Baseball settled fora. split at Penn State Berks.
Roy Corso picked up the win in an 8-7 victory in the opener, but the host Lions put together a seven-run fifth inning to grab the lead on the way to a 9-5 decision in the nightcap.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Eagles scratched out a run on a
Garrett Friend single in the third and took the lead on a two-run double by
Sean Cottrell in the top of the fourth.
Brock Langlotz drove in
Ryan Turzani with a double in the fifth inning.
Corso allowed just two runs on five hits in four innings of work to pick up his second win of the year. He struck out five.
After Berks scored to pull back within a run,
Connor Schilling scored on a well-executed double-steal with
Joe Paradise, and then Paradise came home on a
Griffin Falco sacrifice fly.
The Eagles scored twice more in the top of the seventh. Turzani started the rally with a double. He and Trent MacDougall each scored on ground outs. Those runs would prove to be important as the hosts closed the gap to 8-7 and had the winning run at second base before
Brennan Moloughney came on for the final out and pick up the save.
In game two, MacDougall drove in two runs with a two-out triple in the bottom of the first, but the hosts scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
Matthew Gonglik drove in a run on an infield hit in the top of the fifth.
Graham Adams went struck out seven in four innings of work and left the game with the lead, but the hosts scored seven runs on five hits and two errors in the fifth to grab control of the game.
The Eagles have a massive series (17-19) have a massive league series against Stevenson with post-season ramifications that starts at home on Saturday. On the weekend, they need to win two more games than York and one more game than Widener to secure the fourth seed int he upcoming MAC Commonwealth Tournament. York plays second-place Alvernia and Widener plays against first place Messiah. Stevenson and Albright are currently tied for seventh.
That series starts at the Yard on Friday afternoon.
