The PSU Panthers baseball team split a double header with the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth on Sunday, April 6. The Panthers were supposed to play on Saturday, but the game was postponed to the next day because the weather forecast said there would precipitation on Saturday. It ended up being a beautiful day, but so was Sunday as the Panther’s won the first game 18-11.
First year Matt Koban returned after his knee injury and helped the team out greatly as the designated hitter. Koban was also named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Week. In the first game Koban had four singles and two walks, allowing him to reach base every time he was up to bat. Senior first baseman, Jim Van Gyzen said “We are all glad to have him back because he brings a new dimension to the lineup.”PSU started the game off right in the second inning where Van Gyzen scored the first run of the game. Dartmouth came back in the same inning with a run to tie it up.
In the fourth inning the Dartmouth pitcher walked three Panthers while Josh Roberti doubled and stole third, Koban singled and Kevin Levandowski had a home run, ending with five runs on the board for the inning. The next inning was pretty similar for the Panthers, scoring four more runs putting them up by seven. Levandowski hit his second home run for the game bringing in all four of the runs. Levandowski was named LEC Player of the Week. Levandowski hit three home runs last week alone. He also assisted the team with twelve RBI’s, scored six runs, and still managed to steal two bases.
Dartmouth came back in the sixth inning putting them down by only one run. The Panthers didn’t come back with runs until the eighth inning when Van Gyzen hit his first collegiate home run bringing him and Brandon Hodge home, and putting the Panthers up by three runs. The ninth inning was what won the game for the Panthers. MarcMcGinnis, Nick Englert, Koban, Levandowski, Jay Kleponis, and Van Gyzen all singled. Plymouth ended up adding six more runs to the score board this inning. Dartmouth came back with two more runs in the ninth. Senior Chip Hale went home with the win.
The Panthers weren’t as lucky in the second game. They lost 14-4 and were cut off in the seventh inning to end the game due to the ten run rule. Dartmouth had five runs going into the third inning; while Plymouth didn’t have a good inning until the third where they got four runs. Englert, Levandowski, Hodge, and Dan Eagan all singled. These runs however would be the only ones scored in the game for the Panthers. Dartmouth would get two more runs in the fifth, four runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh to end the game. Joey Brayton came in to pitch for Taylor Ketchum in the sixth inning, and Dartmouth player D. Zygmont hit a home run off Brayton to end the game early. Van Gyzen said, “We have to play at a consistent level and keep the same mentality during all games, especially during doubleheaders.”
The Panthers play three away games this week because of the snow that is still sitting on their field. Melt snow, melt!