ARLINGTON, Va.—Junior right-hander Alex Halbert (Laurel, Md. / Atholton) spun 5.0 scoreless innings in a game one victory, while senior Brody Lindsey (Monrovia, Md. / DeMatha Catholic) crushed his first home run of the season in a wild game two as the Lycoming College baseball team split a doubleheader with Marymount University in non-conference action, taking game one 1-0 and falling 9-8 in walk-off fashion on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Jacobs Field.
Lycoming (3-2) narrowly missed the doubleheader sweep against Marymount (2-2) in a back-and-forth second game where the lead was given up in each of the last five innings.
In the opener, senior catcher Nick Hoheb (Brick, N.J. / Brick Township) singled home senior Josh Bottger (Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Wilkes-Barre Area) in the top of the second to give the Warriors the lead.
Halbert (1-0) navigated a pair of singles in the second and side-stepped a one-out double in the fifth, going 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five as he ran his scoreless string to 9.0 straight innings to start the season. Senior right-hander Joel Inman (Berlin. N.J. / Eastern Regional) worked around a leadoff error in the seventh to throw 2.0 hitless innings with a strikeout, closing out his first save of the season.
In the nightcap, pitching again dominated early as both teams were scoreless in the first four innings.
Lycoming finally broke the stalemate in the fifth in a bases-loaded walk to Bottger and a sacrifice fly from Lindsey to take a 2-0 lead. Marymount answered back with a sac fly of their own from Joshmar Carbonell, then took a 4-2 edge in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run double from Gray Ellenburg.
Lindsey then connected on a two-run shot with one out in the seventh, bringing in Bottger to tie the game at four apiece, only for Marymount to again answer right away, taking the lead back on Evan Schick's RBI single.
Senior Nick Reeder (Montoursville, Pa. / Montoursville Area) responded back for the Warriors in the eighth, drawing Lycoming even once again on a two-out RBI single. Once more, though, the Saints had a response, scoring three unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth to take an 8-5 lead into the final frame.
The Warriors did not go quietly, rallying for three runs with two outs in the ninth, tying the game at 8-8 on an RBI single from sophomore Kaden Shay (South Williamsport, Pa. / South Williamsport Area).
Marymount, though, loaded the bases with two outs and took the victory when William Alvarez walked, giving the Saints a 9-8 victory and the twinbill split.
In the second contest, Reeder, Bottger, and Shay each recorded two hits, an RBI, and a run scored, while Lindsey homered and drove in three. Senior Sean Perkins (Berlin, N.J. / Eastern regional) reached base four times on two hits and two walks.
On the mound, senior Jake Wilber (Tom's River, N.J. / Toms River South) worked 4.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
The Warriors will welcome Hilbert College for a three-game series that gets underway with Lycoming's home opener on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Brandon Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m
