FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Lebanon Valley baseball team scored twice in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie and defeat Penn State Behrend on Monday morning in Fort Pierce, Florida.
 
The Dutchmen (2-2) handed the Lions (2-1) their first loss of the year behind strong pitching from Nathan Clarke, Malachi Duka, Hunter Williams, and Jacob Detwiler as the quartet allowed just one run on six hits with eight strikeouts over nine innings. LVC got on the board in the top of the first inning with a pair of walks to Jace Fetterman and Shane Stossel followed by a Logan Brewer single to right field. Ryan Petrucci also walked to load the bases with two outs, but the Lions were able to get out of the jam without giving up any more runs.
 
Penn State Behrend got on the board in the bottom of the second inning to tie things up. The Lions hit a leadoff single and then worked the runner around to third on a pair of ground balls before he scored on a wild pitch. Neither team was able to muster up much offense over the next couple innings as Clarke and Ethan Tinker were locked into a pitching duel.
 
Duka relieved Clarke on the mound in the fifth and got into a jam with a pair of walks. The Lions put runners on second and third with two outs before the righty got a strikeout to end the inning. The Lions threatened again in the sixth with Williams on the mound as they turned a leadoff single into a runner at second with one out. Williams induced a grounder to shortstop and then got a strikeout to send the game to the seventh.
 
LVC started the seventh with a walk by Owen Berry and a failed pickoff attempt to force the Lions to make a call to the pen. Duncan Weir drew a walk and then a balk put runners on second and third with no outs. Berry scored the go-ahead run as Nico Santoro had his grounder to short booted. Two batters later, Stossel drove in Weir with a single up the middle. Williams pitched a quick 1-2-3 seventh and LVC came back up in the eighth looking to add onto the lead. Ethan O'Loughlin singled to left, Devin Kreger drew a pinch hit walk and then a grounder to first put runners at second and third with two outs. The Lions were able to get the final out of the inning to keep it a two-run game.
 
The game went to the ninth with LVC still leading 3-1 as Detwiler came in to pitch for the save attempt. He walked the leadoff hitter but then got a ground ball up the middle and a strikeout for two outs. A single and a wild pitch put the tying run on second before Detwiler got a ball right back to him to close out the win.
 
Inside the Box

• LVC drew seven walks and had five hits in the game.
• Hunter Williams earned his first career win with three innings of scoreless relief. The righty struck out three and allowed two hits against 11 batters.
• Detwiler picked up his fifth career save in his first appearance of the season.
• Clarke allowed just one run on three hits in four innings. He struck out three in his first collegiate start.
• Fetterman had a hit and scored a run.
• Stossel and Brewer had a hit and knocked in a run each.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will finish their suspended game against Norwich University tomorrow at 10 a.m. before taking on Wilkes University at 1 p.m. in Fort Pierce. The Dutchmen are leading the Cadets 4-0 in the bottom of the third inning.

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