FORT PIERCE, FL – In a quick turnaround contest against the Penn State University, Behrend (PSB) Lions on Tuesday morning, the North Central University (NCU) baseball team fell to an 0-3 overall start to the 2020 season. After battling well with the Lions in the first half of the game, PSB started to string together hits in the seventh and eighth innings to come away with the win by a final score of 10-2.
Game Recap
Justin Torres (Palatine, IL, Palatine High School) earned the start for the Rams on the mound, and truly made the best of it. The junior righty was lights out on the bump over the first three innings by allowing only one hit and striking out three. The solid outing from
Torres gave the blue and gold a tremendous opportunity to put the first run of the game across again. In the top of the fourth inning, senior captain
Grant Payne (Fall River, WI, Fall River High School) managed to find some daylight in the outfield with an RBI base knock to right field that brought
Rene Brockman (Tuscon, AZ, Desert View High School) in from scoring position at second. The Lions responded quickly to the Rams' first run of the game by managing to put up three runs from three hits and deep back-to-back sacrifice flies. After the Lions found themselves up 4-1 on NCU in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Rams responded with another run of their own.
After willing his way into scoring position from a stolen base,
Chris Harding (Carol Stream, IL, West Chicago High School) was knocked in from second base by an RBI single to center field from
Cole Sneed (Scottsdale, AZ, Saguaro High School). The manufactured run cut PSB's lead down to only one. After the fifth inning, the Penn State Behrend's pitching started to work its way up and down the Rams' hitting order by only allowing one hit over the next three innings. In the seventh and eighth innings, the Lions' offense also started to build on their lead and generate additional insurance runs. PSB manufactured seven runs via 10 hits, which ultimately sealed the deal carried them to the win.
Key Performer(s)
Looking Ahead
Rams baseball will be back in action on Thursday afternoon with a seven-inning doubleheader slated for a 10:00am and 12:30pm CT. NCU will clash with the
ECAC-affiliated Franciscan University (FU) Barons and are in search of bouncing back after their first two games in Florida. Fans can find live statistics throughout the heavily anticipated matchup
here.
