Campus Corner: Zurat’s Save, Moyer’s Win Give Penn State Behrend a Sweep

BASEBALL

GETTYSBURG — Junior reliever Chad Zurat (Clearfield) saved the first game and senior starter Mike Moyer (Clearfield) got the win in the nightcap of Penn State Behrend’s non-conference 2-1 and 13-0 sweep of Gettysburg (9-6) at Kirchhoff Field Sunday afternoon.

After the Lions scored both of their runs in the top of the sixth inning in the opener, Zurat came out of the bullpen in a one-out, two-on situation and retired all five Bullets he faced, three on strikeouts, to make Ryan Jacobs (2-0) a winner.

Then, Moyer pitched four innings in only his second appearance of the season, maintaining his 0.00 earned run average and picking up his second win. He struck out four but had to work from the stretch in every frame. The Bullets had four hits and drew four walks, but none reached third base and seven were stranded.

Moyer, who has 12 strikeouts in 11 innings, is tied for fifth among Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference hurlers with his two wins.

Zurat, one of five pitchers on last weeks AMCC Player of the Week Best of the Rest list, is tied for second in saves, appearances (6) and games finished (5). He has logged 9.1 innings with 11 strikeouts, three walks and two hit batsmen. He’s allowed nine hits and five earned runs, all in one outing that have kept his ERA (4.82) inflated.

Both would rank among the AMCC leaders in other categories, but doesn’t have enough innings to qualify.

The Lions are 9-5.

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BRADFORD — Junior outfielder Sam Gardner (Curwensville) singled and doubled, scored two runs and stole a base as Pitt-Bradford (4-6) ended its Spring Break Trip to the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic at Fort Myers, Fla., with an 11-1 victory over Nichols (Mass.) March 18.

In six games, with three starts in right and one in left, Gardner had three hits for a .273 average.

The Panthers have not played since returning north.

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ERIE — Junior Ben McGary(Curwensville) suffered another tough loss for Clarion (0-12) Sunday when the Golden Eagles dropped their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division openers to Gannon 13-0 and 4-2.

The left-hander made it back-to-back complete games with a six-inning stint in the second game, surrendering six hits and four earned runs while striking out five, walking two and hitting one batter.

Clarion’s bats remained quiet with only four hits after being limited to three in the first-game shutout. The team average is just .200. 

Sophomore shortstop Derek Danver (Clearfield) was 0-for-2 and hit by a pitch in the opener, while sophomore Brett Sutika (Grampian/Curwensville Area H.S.) was 0-for-6 in starts as the designated hitter and at second base.

In 10 games, Danver has six safeties, one a double, and a .261 average that is third on the team.

Sutika’s lone hit in six starts was a two-bagger.

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SOFTBALL

WILLIAMSPORT — Showing the effects of a 17-day layoff since returning from their Spring Break Trip to South Carolina,  Senior Holly Lansberry (Curwensville) and her Lycoming (5-5) teammates were no match for defending champion Alvernia (13-3) in their Commonwealth Conference openers Sunday.

Alvernia invaded Shangraw Athletic Complex and pinned a pair of five-inning setbacks, 16-0 and 12-2, on the Warriors.

Lansberry suffered her first loss in three decisions in the first game. She lasted 2.2 innings, giving up six hits and three walks that the visitors turned into 10 runs, only three of which were earned.

Lansberry went back into the circle for one scoreless inning in the nightcap to keep her earned run average under two at 1.96.

She started the game in right field and threw out two runners, one at first base and one at home plate to complete a double play.

In seven appearances, Lansberry has registered 28 strikeouts with eight walks and one hit batsman. She has allowed 27 hits and 15 runs, only seven earned.

Lansberry is hitting .208 with four runs batted in.

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MEN’S GYMNASTICS

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Senior Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield) tied for third place on the still rings as No. 1-ranked Penn State spoiled Senior Night for Minnesota 433.650-428.000 to complete the 19th undefeated regular season in school history.

Rosenthal, competing for only the fourth time in his injury-plagued final year for the 13-0 Nittany Lions, tied Parker Raque with a 14.900 score in the event won by freshman teammate Trevor Howard with a 15.150.

The perfect record is Penn State’s first since 2003 and just the fourth in the last 40 years.

The Nittany Lions will return to Minnesota’s Sports Pavilion for the Big Ten Championships April 5-6 and then will host the NCAA Championships in Rec Hall April 19-21.