Brandywine Plays To Saturday Road Split

Brandywine rallied by scoring the final five runs to win the opening game by a 6-3 score.

The Gators plated the game's first run, but Brandywine quickly answered in the second inning. Jason Hankins (Chichester, Pa./Chichester) led off with a walk and later scored on Ryan Snyder's (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) sacrifice fly.

A two-run home run put Notre Dame ahead 3-1 entering the top of the fifth inning before Brandywine trimmed the margin in half. A leadoff walk again led to a run for the Lions as Snyder worked a base on balls and crossed home two batters later thanks to a single from Miguel Rodriguez (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin).

Brandywine took the lead for good by scoring three times in the seventh. Snyder started the frame with a double, while Ryan Brown (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) singled and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Rodriguez delivered a go-ahead base hit and Jamey Massung (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-3. Rodriguez later came around to score via a Notre Dame error. Another Notre Dame miscue allowed Snyder to cross home with an insurance run one frame later.

Nate Romberger (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen School) earned the win on the mound. He worked the first six innings and struck out four Gators, while allowing three runs on five hits. Matt Delacruz (Exton, Pa./West Chester East) twirled a pair of scoreless innings in relief, while Josh Hess (Panama City, Fla./Arnold) ended the game with a strikeout to earn his second save of the spring.

Brandywine's top three hitters in the batting order, Snyder, Brown and Rodriguez, all produced two-hit games. Snyder scored three runs and Rodirguez drove in two, while Brown and Hankins both swiped two bases. Brandywine stole eight bases in as many attempts overall.

Game Two: Notre Dame 4, Penn State Brandywine 1

The difference in the game was a three-run eighth inning for the Gators, who earned the home split with a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.

The Lions' lone run came during the fourth inning as Ivano Romaniello (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) worked a walk and scored on a Notre Dame error to level the score at 1-1.

The count remained the same until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Gators struck for three runs on four hits. Brandywine loaded the bases without needing a hit in the ninth inning, but a two-out pop-up to first base ended the Lions' threat.

Gianni Serenelli (Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic) went the first seven innings on the mound for the Lions, striking out seven. He limited Notre Dame to just one run on three hits, but did not factor into the decision. David Kursman (Pennsauken, N.J./Pennsauken) recorded two of Brandywine's six hits offensively.

Brandywine (12-13, 4-4 UEC) visits former conference rival Penn State York on Monday for a 5:00 PM game.