Penn State Berks Staves Off
Elimination Over Behrend, 8-5
LAKEWOOD, N.J. (5/14/09) - Rookie catcher
Seth Shultz (Wernersville, Pa.) had a two-run homerun in
the fourth inning as Penn State Berks defeated Penn State Behrend,
8-5, in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic
Regional on Thursday morning.
Schultz homered in a key three-run fourth inning, as
eighth-seeded Berks (22-22-1) extended their one-run lead to 7-3 in
the inning. The Nittany Lions advance to face the loser of
the Elizabethtown College and Keystone College game on Friday at
1:15 p.m.
For fourth-seeded Behrend (31-13), junior shortstop Josh
Fyffe (Fredonia, Pa.) was 2-of-4 with three RBI, while
sophomore Geoff Lang (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had three
hits as they close out the season in the NCAA tournament for the
second straight season.
Behrend took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a
sacrifice fly by Fyffe to score junior Jonathan Gray (State
College, Pa.), who had reached on an error to lead off the
game.
In the bottom half of the inning, Berks answered right back,
scoring three runs on two hits and one error. Junior
Tyler Fleischut (Doylestown, Pa.) led off with a single to
right center and would later tie the game at 1-1 on a Behrend
error. After Berks loaded the bases with one out, a wild
pitch scored Shultz and a RBI groundout one batter later by
freshman Matt Emrick (Bethlehem, Pa.) gave Berks the 3-1
advantage.
Berks tacked on another run in the bottom of the second, when a
RBI single by freshman Kevin Heilman (Easton, Pa.) brought
home sophomore Adam Maurer (Washington Township, N.J.) to
give Berks the 4-1 lead.
Single runs in the third and fourth innings trimmed the Berks
deficit to one run, as sophomore Eddie Kessler (Bethel
Park, Pa.) scored after leading off the third inning with
a double and Fyffe added his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon
in the fourth to pull Behrend to within 4-3.
Berks extended the lead to 7-3 in the bottom half of the fourth
inning, as Heilman had a RBI single to score Maurer, and Shultz
followed with the region's first homerun of the tournament, a
two-run shot to left field.
In the top of the ninth inning, Behrend threatened after
sophomore Blake Pavlik (Apollo, Pa.) and sophomore
Harry Latta (Waterford, Pa.) led off with
back-to-back singles. A fly out and fielder's choice put
runners on the corners and Fyffe followed with a double to left
field to drive home Pavlik. However, a line-out back to
Emrick, who pitched two innings in relief, ended the game and gave
Berks their first-ever NCAA victory.
On the mound for Berks, Fleischut improved to 5-2, as he
scattered 10 hits and seven walks in seven innings of work.
Emrick earned his first save of the season, scattering three hits
over the final two innings.
All but one Berks player recorded a hit, with Heilman posting
the lone multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 afternoon with two RBI and
one run scored. Shultz added two RBI and two runs scored,
while Maurer also scored twice.
Behrend had 13 hits as a team, however stranded 17 runners on
base and left the bases loaded in a pair of innings.
