Zurat, a 6-3, 205-pound sophomore, was summoned into a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the last inning of the first game and ended it with a strikeout after walking in a run.
Moyer hurled five shutout innings in the second game before giving up a run on two walks, a hit and a groundout. Two relievers preserved the victory for the junior right-hander.
Moyer, a 5-10, 180-pounder, allowed only two hits while fanning seven batters and walking three.
Last year, Moyer posted a 3-2 record with a 4.28 earned run average that was inflated in the last two of his eight starts in 12 appearances. He struck out 38, walked 15, hit six and gave up 51 hits and 29 runs, 26 earned, in 54.2 innings.
Moyer had six starts in eight games as a freshman, finishing 4-2 with a 4.82 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 19 walks and six hit batsman. He surrendered 38 hits and 22 runs, in 37.1 innings.
Zurat earned a role as one of the Lions’ closer early in his rookie season, logging 22 innings in 12 appearances, including one start in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament.
His strikeout-walk ratio was an outstanding 33-6, and he gave up only 14 hits and 10 runs, seven earned for a 2.86 ERA that was second on the team.
Zurat won three of five decisions in addition tying for the AMCC lead in saves with four.
Penn State Behrend has been tabbed by the coaches to win the AMCC title for the third time in five years.
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AUBERNDALE, Fla. – Freshman shortstop Derek Danver of Clearfield drove in five runs with three hits for Penn State Altoona (0-4) in a double-header loss to Wittenburg (Ohio) in the Russ Matt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park Sunday.
He tied the opener at 3-3 with a two-run single, his first hit as a Lion, in the fifth inning, but the Tigers came back to win 5-3.
In the nightcap, Danver singled across a run in the fourth frame after the Lions had fallen behind 11-0 and then doubled home two more teammates in the fifth inning.
Penn State Altoona, picked to finish behind Penn State Behrend and LaRoche in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in the coaches’ preseason poll, opened Saturday with losses to St. John Fisher (N.Y.) 21-4 and No. 20-ranked Cortland (N.Y.) State 13-0 at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven.
Danver came out of the weekend leading the Lions with his .333 batting average and five RBIs as well as 13 assists in the field.
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TUCSON, Arz. – Sophomore Sam Gardner of Curwensville made his first two appearances on the mound as Pitt-Bradford (2-4) broke into the win column by trimming Southern Vermont 10-3 and Presentation (S.D.) 17-5 Sunday afternoon.
The right-hander worked one scoreless inning, striking out one and surrendering one walk and one hit, to close out the Panthers’ first victory.
Gardner was called on early in the second game and gave up two hits, one walk and one earned run in 1.2 innings that left him with a 3.38 earned run average. He struck out two batters.
Gardner pinch-hit in both games with a flyout and walk Saturday when the Panthers lost 16-2 and 10-7 to Swarthmore at Chandler, Arz.