WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Senior A.J. Llorente (Williamsport, Pa. / Montoursville Area) drove in two runs as the Lycoming College baseball team rallied in the final two frames, but left the tying run 90 feet away as it fell, 3-2, to Gettysburg College on Wednesday, March 4, at Brandon Park.
Down 3-0, sophomore Kaden Shay (South Williamsport, Pa. / South Williamsport Area) started the comeback with a single to center with two outs in the eighth. Another single and a hit batter loaded the bases for Llorente, who dropped a two-run single to center to cut the deficit to one run. After a hard-hit line drive single from senior Brody Lindsey (Monrovia, Md./DeMatha Catholic) got to the center fielder too quick to score the tying run, a diving play at first base robbed the Warriors (4-4) of the lead, ending the inning with Lycoming now within a run.
In the ninth, the Warriors again applied pressure, as two errors put runners at second and third with no outs. However, back-to-back strikeouts bracketed around a caught stealing allowed Gettysburg (6-0) to escape with the one-run victory.
The Lycoming bullpen performed well, as sophomore Lex Nelsen (Freehold, N.J. / Freehold Township) threw a career-high 2.1 innings of one-run ball, then first-year Bryce Brungard (Lock Haven, Pa. / Central Mountain) followed with 1.1 scoreless innings. Seniors Treysen Green (Celebration, Fla. / Windermere Prep), Joel Inman (Berlin, N.J. / Eastern Regional) and Matt Guido (Holbrook, N.Y. / Sachem East) each threw a scoreless frame, as Lycoming did not allow a hit in the final four innings.
Lycoming turned back numerous Gettysburg rallies to stay within striking distance until scoring its two runs in the eighth, turning four double plays in the game.
Three of those twin killings, including two with the bases loaded, came in the first three frames, though the Bullets did take the lead on three straight leadoff hits in the first, with Will Stellato's bunt single driving in the first run. Two innings later, a bases-loaded walk to Dominick Balsano forced in a second tally.
Gettysburg grew the lead to 3-0 in the fifth when another bases-loaded walk, this time from Michael Fischetti, forced in a run.
Meanwhile, the Warriors had just two baserunners over the first five innings against Gettysburg starter Brendan Trotta (2-0), who threw 5.1 hitless innings with five strikeouts. However, he walked three in the sixth, loading the bases and chasing him for Zach Klein, who induced a double play to keep the Warriors off the board.
Klein continued rolling with a 1-2-3 seventh and two straight strikeouts to start the eighth before the Lycoming rally.
The Warriors will be back in action this weekend with a four-game series against SUNY-Poly that gets underway on Saturday, March 7 with a 7-9 doubleheader. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for noon from Brandon Park.
