BASEBALL
ERIE — Junior closer Chad Zurat (Clearfield) registered his sixth save of the season for Penn State Behrend (30-10) in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship game at Behrend Field Saturday and landed a third-team berth on the 2013 All-AMCC Team Tuesday.
The 6-2, 210-pound right-hander pitched the last three innings of the Lions’ 9-5 victory over La Roche (29-14), their third consecutive one-sided win in the double-elimination tournament.
He gave up one run in the eighth inning when he surrendered two singles and hit two batters.
Zurat, who struck out two, is a repeater on the All-AMCC Team, having received second-team honors last year.
Two pitchers, whether starters or relievers, are selected for each of the all-conference teams.
Senior pitcher Mike Moyer (Clearfield) made his sixth start in Penn State Behrend’s 10-5 tourney tune-up win at Mount Union (Ohio) on May 7.
The right-hander pitched into the fourth inning and allowed four hits and two runs, both earned. He struck out one, walked four and hit two batters.
Moyer (3-0) has worked 27 innings in seven appearances with a 2.67 earned run average, 21 strikeouts and 19 walks. He has given up 23 hits and eight runs, all earned.
Zurat has limited opposing batters to a .195 batting average and sports a 2.25 ERA for 24 innings in 13 relief stints.
He has accumulated 31 strikeouts with only seven walks while allowing 18 hits and nine runs, seven earned.
Six other Lions received All-AMCC honors, including Pitcher of the Year Ryan Jacobs (8-1) and Newcomer of the Year John Havlinka.
Jacobs, catcher Evan Bukowski, first baseman Vinny Rice and outfielder Ryan Kragnes were named to the first team, while Havlinka, an outfielder, and third baseman Matt Bittner made the second team.
Penn State Behrend, which knocked off Pitt-Greensburg 9-3 and Mount Aloysius 9-5 in its other conference tourney games, will open the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional against two-time defending champion and No. 14-ranked Marietta (29-12) Wednesday evening on Rose Hulman’s Art Nehf Field at Terre Haute, Ind.
The Lions are seeded seventh in the eight-team, double-elimination tourney that continues through the weekend.
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BRADFORD — Junior outfielder Sam Gardner (Curwensville) ended the season as the No. 4 hitter among players who averaged at least two trips to the plate for Pitt-Bradford (16-19).
He played in 25 games, starting 22, and collected 20 hits for a .308 average.
Gardner socked four doubles and drove in seven runs.
He scored 12 runs, ranking fifth for the Panthers, who finished fourth in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference at 9-7 before being eliminated from the conference playoffs by fifth place Pitt-Greensburg.
Gardner had one sacrifice fly, drew three walks, was hit by a pitch twice and was two-for-three in stolen base attempts.