Home Runs Lead to Conference Sweep of Penn State Scranton

April 22, 2012

DUNMORE, Pa. - Junior Cody Ward (Connellsville, Pa.) picked up his first win on the mound and hit a lead-off home run in the first game of a Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference doubleheader at Penn State Scranton on Sunday afternoon, as the Roaring Lions swept the series with wins of 5-4 and 13-7.

Ward hit his first career lead-off homer in the first inning of game one, smacking a 2-1 pitch to deep left field to give Fayette a 1-0 lead. Ward followed his hitting performance with a solid game on the mound, giving the Roaring Lions 6 1/3 innings of four-run ball, allowing five hits.

Fayette (12-19, 7-11 PSUAC) took some time to wake up the bats in game two, trailing 6-0 through three innings before erupting for 13 runs over the next two innings. Game two was called after five innings due to rain.

Senior Sam Beucher (Connellsville, Pa.) and sophomore Alex Fogle (Connellsville, Pa.) each hit home runs in game two, both in the fourth inning.

GAME ONE: Penn State Fayette 5, Penn State Scranton 4

Ward jumped on the fourth pitch he saw, driving the ball to deep left field, just inside the foul pole to give Fayette a 1-0 lead.

Ward retired the Lions in order in the home half of the first, and both teams left the bases loaded in the second inning. The Roaring Lions squandered a lead-off double by junior Nolan Zavora (Charleroi, Pa.) in the third, and Scranton tied the score at 1-1 on an RBI single by starting pitcher Ryan Janesko.

Following a scoreless fourth inning, Fayette added a run in the fifth as Beucher came around to score on an RBI double by senior Jonathan Eicher (Uniontown, Pa.) for a 2-1 Fayette lead.

Ward continued to shut down Scranton (1-21, 1-17 PSUAC), as the Roaring Lions kept a 2-1 lead through six innings. Fayette opened up their lead in the seventh with three runs on three hits, runs they would end up needing.

Sophomore Braden Royer (Greensburg, Pa.) singled and stole second base, and Zavora added a single and stolen base to put runners at second and third for sophomore Connor McKeel (Upper St. Clair, Pa.), who hit a sacrifice fly to left field. Eicher hit an RBI double to left field and freshman Harold McCutcheon (Claysville, Pa.) followed with an RBI double to give Fayette a 5-1 lead.

Scranton battled back in the home half of the seventh, knocking out Ward after scoring two runs on a double by Janesko to make it 5-3. Eicher came on in relief to retire the next batter, but a single and an RBI single made it 5-4 and two walks left the bases loaded for the Lions. Beucher came in for to escape the two-out jam, forcing a pop-out back to the mound on a 1-1 pitch, earning him the save.

Janesko finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs for Scranton, and pitched a complete game, giving up five runs on nine hits while striking out nine.

Zavora finished 4-for-4 for Fayette, including a double, while Eicher went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Ward finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. 

GAME TWO: Penn State Fayette 13, Penn State Scranton 7 (5 innings; rain)

Scranton grabbed a quick 6-0 lead through three innings in game two, capitalizing on four walks given up by McKeel.

The Lions scored in the first without a hit, as a lead-off walk, groundout and wild pitch preceded a Fayette error that allowed Robert Best to score and give Scranton a 1-0 advantage. Scranton scored again in the second without a hit, as a one-out walk, error and a passed ball on a dropped third strike gave the Lions a 2-0 lead.

McKeel was chased in the third, with one out, as Zavora inherited a a bases loaded jam. Casey Ware hit a sacrifice fly to center field, and a wild pitch and passed ball allowed Scranton to add to their lead. Matthew Paradise singled home Scranton's final run of the inning for a 6-0 lead.

Fayette responded quickly in the top of the fourth, as Beucher smacked a 1-1 curveball over the left-center field fence to get the Roaring Lions on the board. After a groundout and strikeout, Fayette strung together five straight baserunners, all whom would score to tie the game at 6-6.

McCutcheon singled and scored on an RBI double by Royer, and after a walk to freshman AJ Tworzydlo (Centerville, Pa.), Ward singled home Royer to cut the Scranton lead to 6-3. Fogle then took a 1-2 pitch to deep right field for a three-run home run and a tie game.

Zavora retired the Lions in the fourth, and Fayette picked up where they left off, as the first seven batters in the fifth would score for the Roaring Lions. Beucher walked to lead-off the inning, stole second and advanced to third on a fielding error of Eicher's groundball. Beucher scored on a wild pitch, and an RBI single from McKeel gave Fayette an 8-6 lead. After another stolen base, McCutcheon hit an RBI ground-rule double to left field. Royer reached after being hit by a pitch, and advanced to third on a stolen base and a throwing error on the Scranton catcher, which also allowed McCutcheon to score. Tworzydlo walked, and Royer scored on ball four's wild pitch. Tworzydlo then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Ward walked and stole second. Fogle grounded out, but grabbed an RBI as Tworzydlo crossed home, and Zavora picked up an RBI on a groundout to give Fayette a 13-6 lead.

Scranton scratched across one run in the bottom of the fifth, but the game was called due to rain after the final out of the inning.

Ward finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, and Fogle added four RBI's on the afternoon. McCutcheon finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Fayette's season concludes with a 9-inning road game at Bethany College on Tuesday, April 24 at 4:00 p.m.