Box Score

LANCASTER, PA - If there was ever a time to pick up a win, Thursday was it for the men's baseball team.

After struggling through a winless regular season, the Crimson Eagles nontheless had an opportunity to extend their year into postseason play providing that the group go two for two in the victory column during NCCAA East Regional competition on Thursday.

But despite capturing an early 3-2 edge, it wasn't to be, as host and top seed Lancaster Bible College pulled off a come from behind triumph in the opening round of the tourney to advance to the championship bout. The Chargers escaped with a 7-3 win powered by an offense that tallied at least one run in four of six innings at the plate.

Lancaster struck first, notching two runs in the bottom of the second to grasp an early advantage. But a three run third inning for PBU sparked by a moster bases-loaded double by Brent Fornwalt helped the Crimson Eagles clamp a one run edge.

A pair of one score innings ensued for Lancaster to give the Chargers a 4-3 lead to head into the final two stanzas. LBC would add three insurance runs in the sixth before PBU's clock would expire in the seventh following an unsuccessful rally attempt during the top of the inning.

After averaging over 4.2 errors per contest to enter the game, the Crimson Eagles played magnificent ball on the definsive side, recording zero blunders for the contest to mark just the second time this season they've managed an error-free performance. PBU was cripppled by 13 runners left on base, a number that was inflated due to 12 Crimson Eagle strikeouts at the plate.

The win places Lancaster in the East Region Championship against the winner of Valley Forge Christian College and Baptist Bible College, a game that will be played later this afternoon at 3:00 pm.

The baseball team will play in their second-to-last event of the '09 sesaon when the group hosts Marywood University on Friday at 3:00 pm.