Bears Claw Back to Defeat Quakers, 13-9
The University of Pennsylvania baseball team began its pivotal three-game set against Brown on Friday afternoon at Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium, but the hosts came away with a 13-9 victory.
PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania baseball team began its pivotal three-game set against Brown on Friday afternoon at Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium, but the hosts came away with a 13-9 victory. The Quakers fell behind early in the first inning, and the visitors held on late to inch closer to claiming the Ivy League regular-season title.
Penn dropped to 18-20 overall following Friday's result, while Brown advanced to 21-16.
Quaker Notemeal
*Despite the loss, co-captain
Jarrett Pokrovsky made program history Friday afternoon. The senior tallied the 51
st double of his career in the ninth inning to become the all-time leader in Penn's history. Pokrovsky is also the single-season doubles record holder, following his 24 two-baggers in a season, and he led the Red and Blue against Brown with three hits.
Gavin Degnan went 2-for-4 at the dish and tacked on three RBI and a run scored.
*Juniors
Gavin Collins and
Nick Spaventa both went yard against the Bears, combining for five of the Quakers' nine runs. Spaventa knotted the ballgame at three runs apiece in the sixth inning and Collins' three-run shot in the seventh handed the hosts their first lead of the contest (9-8).
*Infielders
Ryan Taylor and
Jay Secretarski finished with two hits apiece, while freshman designated hitter
Jack Warner added another.
*Junior southpaw
Marty Coyne tossed six innings of relief and notched seven strikeouts, but Brown got hot late to take Game 1.
How It Happened
The visitors quickly hopped out to a 3-0 lead after DJ Dillehay's two-RBI single up the middle drove in Matt Luigs and Mika Petersen after the duo reached on walks. Brown's third run crossed home plate when Christian Butera was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Secretarski singled to center field in the bottom half of the inning, but starter Peter Dubie recovered by retiring Degnan and Spaventa.
Coyne kept the Bears off the board in the second frame, which allowed the offense a chance to play catch-up. Warner, Collins, and
Ernie Echevarria reached on two errors and a single to left field, giving
Nick O'Brien a chance to do some damage. The junior's sac fly to right field allowed Warner to coast home, but then Collins was picked off at second to close the inning.
At the start of the third frame, it quickly became a pitcher's duel. Coyne allowed only two hits through the next three innings, while Dubie surrendered just one. The Bears' ace began to show fatigue during the sixth frame as Penn scored two runs on three hits.
The heart of the order was responsible for the Quakers' two runs, and it started with a leadoff single through the left side from Degnan. Spaventa was due up next and his 387-foot bomb over the wall in left field made it a 3-3 ballgame.
Both teams combined for 11 runs in the seventh inning, giving fans plenty to cheer for at the Meik. Alex Benevento got Brown's wheels turning with an RBI single through the left side, and Logan Meusy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to extend the Bears' lead to two runs (5-3). Mark Henshon followed up with a three-RBI double to right-center field that cleared the bases and bumped the visitors' advantage to five runs (8-3).
Just when the game appeared to be out of reach for the hosts, they scored six runs on four hits to snatch a 9-8 lead. Degnan and Pokrovsky notched a pair of RBIs through hits in the infield to build some momentum, followed by Warner's single that drove in Degnan. With two outs, Collins stepped to the plate, and he certainly made the most of his opportunity. The Bristol, Ind. native proceeded to launch his fourth home run of the season just inside the left-field foul pole to grant the Red and Blue their first lead of the afternoon (9-8).
Despite the recent shift in momentum, Brown responded with a five-run five-hit eighth frame that put it back in the driver's seat. Dillehay (1), Henshon (2), and Butera (1) were all credited with RBIs throughout the at-bats and after eight innings in University City, the Bears led 13-9.
Penn failed to complete what would have been an epic comeback in the ninth frame to steal Game 1, and Brown inched one step closer to claiming the Ivy League regular-season title.
Up Next
The Quakers are back in action on Saturday as they look to take both games from the visitors to keep their own regular-season title hopes alive. First pitch is slated for 11:30 a.m., and prior to the start, the Red and Blue's eight seniors will be honored for all their hard work and dedication over their careers in Philly. Fans can catch all the action on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available throughout the day.
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.
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