READING, Pa. – The Albright Lions baseball team (10-22) put together a late rally, but fell short in a 9-7 loss to the Susquehanna River Hawks (17-12) in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Kelchner Field in Reading.
Trailing 9-7, Albright had runners at first and second with two outs in the eighth, but Luke Tuttle got freshman
Lew Meringo to ground into a fielder's choice and wiggle his way out of the jam.
The Lions left 12 men on base, while Susquehanna stranded seven.
The River Hawks took the lead for good with a three-run sixth as Evan Knapp delivered a go-ahead RBI double and scored later in the inning on Nick Berger's RBI double. Susquehanna added a third run in the inning to make it a 9-6 game.
Sophomore
Nick Cummings (1-1) was dealt the loss for the Lions after giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout in 1 2/3 IP. Evan McKenna (2-2) allowed an unearned run on three hits while walking one and fanning four in 3 2/3 IP to record the win for Susquehanna.
Albright opened the scoring in the second as freshman
Jeremy Brubaker led off with a single, stole second and third and scored on
Joe Suppa's RBI single. Susquehanna answered with five runs in the top of the third as Peter Yarem delivered the big blow in the inning with a two-run single to take a 5-1 lead and Berger added a sac fly in the top of the fourth to stretch the lead to 6-1. Meringo led off the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single, took second on a walk, advanced to third on a popout and scored on balk to cut the lead to 6-2 before a walk and a single loaded the bases and Yordy tied the game with a grand slam. The home run was Yordy's team-leading fifth of the season.
Junior
Will Tokarski got the start for the Lions and surrendered five runs on six hits to go along with two walks in 2 2/3 IP. Susquehanna starter Sean Rodriguez gave up six runs on six hits while walking five and fanning two in 3 1/3 IP.
The Lions started the rally with a run in the seventh when Meringo led off with a single, stole second, took third on a throwing error charged to Yarem behind the plate and scored when Suppa reached on an error charged to Ben Burman at third base to cut the lead to 9-7.
Meringo (2-5, SB, 2 R) and Suppa (2-5, RBI) both registered multi-hit games for the Lions, while the trio of junior
Matt Fisher (1.1 IP, 2 H, K), senior
Daron Pijanowski (1.0 IP) and senior
Phil Staehle (1.0 IP, H, 2 K) tossed scoreless outings in relief.
Albright hits the road to battle Gwynedd Mercy in their final non-conference game of the season on Thursday afternoon with first pitch set for 3:45 p.m.
