ANNVILLE, Pa. – Second baseman Conor Smith picked up three hits on Tuesday afternoon, playing a key role in the Lebanon Valley College baseball team's commanding 10–1 victory against Penn State Berks at McGill Field.  

Lebanon Valley (21-15-1) received contributions for several players during their big day at the plate, as eight Dutchmen drove in runs during the game. The club's 10-run effort was a product of the lineup generating traffic on the basepaths, coming in the form of 12 hits and eight walks. LVC's pitching staff was also dominant, yielding just one run and striking out a total of 12 Nittany Lions (9-23). Michael Williams started on the mound, fanning a batter in his first outing of the season. 

Penn State Berks opened the scoring in this one, jumping out to a 1–0 lead in the top of the first inning on a single to center field. The Flying Dutchmen answered back in the bottom half of the frame, claiming a 3–1 lead. First baseman Logan Brewer evened the score by driving a double to left-center field, plating Pete Botbyl. Smith then lined a double to right field to score Brewer. Later in the frame, left fielder Anthony Giancatarino was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home Shane Stossel.

LVC tacked on a run in the bottom of the third inning and two more in the fourth, extending its lead to 6–1 as the game went to the fifth. In the third, catcher Luke Blair sent a sacrifice fly to right-center field to drive in Smith. In the next frame, Botbyl brought home center fielder Ryan Murphy with a sacrifice fly to center. Stossel followed this by lining a double that got past the sliding attempt of the Nittany Lions' right fielder, driving in shortstop Nico Santoro. 

The Dutchmen kept the offense rolling over the next two frames, making it a 10–1 ballgame by the end of the sixth inning. Blair crossed the plate on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth, extending the advantage to 7–1. In the sixth, third baseman Justin Ranker, Giancatarino, and Murphy each drew walks with the bases loaded to put three more runs on the scoreboard. These free passes allowed Stossel, Blair, and Smith to score. 

This would ultimately stand as the final score, as relievers Tony Bennage, Brandon Crews, and Ryan Pickle would combine to blank the opposition over the final three innings of the contest. 

Inside the Box Score

• Eight members of Lebanon Valley's lineup recorded hits in the game. 
• Smith picked up three knocks while driving in a run and scoring twice. 
• Brewer logged a two-hit game, driving a run and scoring in the process.
• Santoro extended his hitting streak to five games with a two-hit performance.
• Giancatarino drove in a pair of runs.
• Murphy doubled, knocked in a run, and crossed the plate once.
• Williams made his season debut on the mound, striking out a batter in two innings of work.
• Five LVC pitchers combined to provide the club with seven scoreless frames of relief. 

Up Next

The Dutchmen will return to the diamond this weekend for a scheduled three-game series against Alvernia University. The set is currently slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday at McGill Field with a doubleheader at noon on Saturday in Reading, Pennsylvania. However, this schedule is subject to change due to forecasted inclement weather. 

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