LHU Baseball opens 2024 season with sweep at Virginia State

ETTRICK, VA – The Lock Haven baseball team scored eight runs in each game to power its way to a non-conference sweep at Virginia State University on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 10). The Bald Eagles won the opener 8-1 before taking the nightcap, 8-2.

The Haven improves to 2-0 to start the season, while the Trojans fall to 3-2.

The Bald Eagles dominated the twin bill on both sides as they belted out 22 hits to score 16 runs.

The pitching staff also kicked off the year in style, as both starters limited the Trojans to one earned run, while the bullpen went four scoreless innings.

Game One: Lock Haven 8, Virginia State 1

The Bald Eagles, who stepped on dirt for the first time this season, didn’t wait long to get the sticks going as they struck for four runs in the top of the second inning to build an early lead.

Virginia State countered with a run in the bottom of the third, but The Haven pushed across solo runs in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh frame en route to victory.

The Bald Eagles belted out four hits during the huge second inning, including a bases clearing double by Greg Cristino (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) to highlight the rally.

Joseph DeSiena (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast), Cam Gracey (Spring Grove/Elementary Education) and Dante Bruno (Telford, Pa/Souderton Area) finished with two hits each.

Cristino (three), Gracey and Lance Baldensperger (Warren, Pa./Warren) drove in the runs for Lock Haven.

Garrett Starr (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) took the rubber for Lock Haven and didn’t disappoint as he tossed five-complete innings and allowed just one run on three hits. Starr added three strikeouts.

Dylan McKenna (Islip, N.Y./Islip) closed out the game with two scoreless innings and struck out a game-high five hitters.

Game Two: Lock Haven 8, Virginia State 2

Lock Haven carried the momentum into game two and erupted for three runs in the first inning before adding a run in the second to build an early 4-0 lead. Four different Bald Eagles compiled four hits during the rally, while four different Bald Eagles drove in runs.

Virginia State cut into the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Lock Haven answered with three runs on three hits to put the game out of reach. DeSiena doubled in a run to cap off the rally.

DeSiena (2B) led the way with two RBI, while Jaxson Pupo (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County), Cristino (2B), Cayde McCloskey (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain), Bruno and Nick White (Halethorpe, Md./Lansdowne) all added RBIs.

Matt Lingenfelter (State College, Pa./State College) put in a quality start on the mound for Lock Haven, limiting the Trojans to two runs (one earned), while striking out seven to pick up his first victory of the year.

Jace Szaflarski (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) tossed two scoreless innings in relief and struck out a pair.

NEXT UP

The Bald Eagles are back in Ettrick, Va. to wrap up the four-game non-conference series with Virginia State tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 11) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.