YORK, PA – The Penn State Harrisburg baseball squad scored eight second inning runs en route to a 12-7 Capital Athletic Conference win at York College on Thursday afternoon.

The Lions snap an 11-game losing streak as they improve to 5-15 overall and 2-10 in the conference. York falls to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in the league.

The game was decided with the big second inning for Harrisburg. They scored their eight runs on eight hits in the fateful inning.

That would be more than enough for Harrisburg starter Will Chaney as the right-hander tossed seven shutout innings as he held York to just five hits. He did walk five while he struck out four.

The Lions pushed the lead to 9-0 with a single run in the fifth and made it 10-0 in the seventh with a single run. York got a trio of runs in the bottom of the eighth to get on the board. Harrisburg closed out their scoring with a run in the top of the ninth before the Spartans got four runs in the bottom of the ninth, providing for the final 12-7 score.

Chaney improved to 2-2 with the win while the Harrisburg bullpen gave up seven runs in two innings of work after Chaney's departure.

Spartan senior Dan Gurganus (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) suffered the loss as he allowed nine runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings of work. He falls to 2-2 with the loss. Patrick Pittman (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) threw the final 4.2 innings as he allowed three runs on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Chris Iocca led the Lions as he was 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Buchman was 3-for-6 with three RBI while Brendan Miller was 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. The Lions banged out a season-high 18 hits. It is just the seventh time this year the Lions have reached double figures in hits.

Derek Pitzer (York, Pa./Dallastown) paced the Spartan offense as he was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Stephen Miele (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. He blasted his team leading fourth home run of the year to lead off the eighth inning. Logan Countryman (Baltimore, Md./Loch Raven) was the other Spartan with multiple hits as he was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The Spartans and Lions are scheduled to complete their conference series on Friday in Middletown. Game time is slated for 3:30 pm at the home of the Lions.  

Logan Countryman photo courtesy of Derek Behrenshausen - Asst. Dir. of Athletic Communications