Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. - Lebanon Valley won a pair of dramatic walk-off victories over Penn State Harrisburg Saturday, 2-1 (8 inn.)and 7-6 in non-conference play at McGill Field.
In the opener, the Dutchmen (9-10) benefited from a throwing error to score Bert Malloy for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth; in the second game, LVC won a see-saw contest when Dylan Holland bunted in Jacob Rhody on a suicide squeeze play in the bottom of the seventh.
Shane Specht (1-2) threw a gem in the opener, earning the win with an eight-inning complete game while allowing one run on five hits. Nate Blough (2-1) threw two innings of relief in game two to earn the win.
GAME ONE
The opener turned into a pitcher's duel between Specht and Barry Wiestling as both threw well in complete-game efforts.
The Lions took the lead with a run in the third, scoring TJ Houseal on Corey Latsha's double to right center. LVC came back to tie the game in the fifth with Dustin Adam's sacrifice fly to plate Grant Wiest.
The Dutchmen threatened again in the sixth but left a runner on third, and LVC again left men on first and second in the seventh with a chance to win the game.
In the eighth, Houseal singled to start the inning, but Latsha popped a bloop into shallow center that Brent Ruminski snagged, and Houseal was caught out between bases as Ruminski fired to first for the double play. Brett Harmony singled, but Matt Umberger was rung up to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Malloy put a one-out double just inside the right-field line to put the winning run on. Colt Zarilla then looked to ground out to third, but Garret Piper sailed the throw to allow Malloy to score and give LVC a 2-1 win.
Specht ended up with six strikeouts and a walk; the error spoiled Wiestling's day as he allowed seven hits and struck out four with no walks.
GAME TWO
The backend to the doubleheader saw quite a bit more offense as both teams scored four runs in the first inning. The Lions manufactured their runs that included RBI singles by Umberger and Piper, a bases-loaded walk by Austin Kulp, and a fielder's choice by Josh Kefauver.
LVC came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, however. Ruminski scored the first run on another error by Piper, and Derek Helwig singled to center to plate Wiest. Malloy hit into a double play but not before Deibert scored, and Joe Soupik scored later in the inning on a passed ball.
Penn State retook the lead in the second with Umberger's RBI single, but LVC tied it again in the third when Malloy knocked in Deibert. PSUH tacked on another run in the fourth on Harmony's hit to go up 5-4.
Still down a run heading into the fifth, Soupik drilled a first-pitch lead-off home run over the visitor's bullpen to tie the game, and Bobby Kinsman scored Helwig on a single later in the inning to go up 6-5 and knock starter Cory Marshall out of the game.
The Lions came back to tie it again in the sixth, however, putting Kevin Bowman on to start after he was hit by Pete Moro. That brought Blough into the game, and he hit Houseal to put two runners on. Latsha then reached on a fielder's choice as LVC got the lead runner, and Harmony loaded the bases when Wiest dropped a ball trailing away from him in left field. That set up Piper, who flied out to center to score Houseal and tie the game.
After LVC failed to score in the sixth and Blough retired the side in the seventh, Soupik sparked the bottom-of-the-seventh rally with a lead-off single, and Helwig reached after laying down a bunt when Latsha muffed the catch at first base. Malloy sacrificed both runners over, and Blough was intentionally put on with one out. Rhody went to run for Soupik at third, and he executed a perfect squeeze play, taking off for home as Holland put down a bunt to score the winning run.
Colt Zarilla started for LVC and lasted an inning and two-thirds; Moro was effective in 3.1 innings of relief. Brandon Bennett (0-1) took the loss for the Lions.
LVC will be home again Sunday against SUNY Oneonta at 1 p.m.
