Photo of Dustin Zitwick
All good things come to an end and PSU's trip to Myrtle Beach is no exception. DuBois played well all week but found themselves on the short end of several games this week. So it was fitting that the Lions saved their best for last in their finale at the Cal Ripken Complex this afternoon. Finding themselves in an early 5-1 hole against Ancilla College, DuBois added a few runs to cut the lead to 5-4 after 4 innings. In the top of the 5th, Ancilla extended the lead to 6-4 via its third homer of the day. Things looked even more dire when Ancilla proceeded to load the bases with nobody out. If DuBois was to win this game, they would need a spark of life, and on this day that spark came from the right arm of pitcher Dustin Zetwick. Zetwick entered the game at this crucial point and did exactly what he was called to do. Zetwick got the first batter he faced to pop up to second for out one. Then he stuck out the next batter, and got the third batter he faced to fly out to end the Ancilla threat.
Zetwick's tidy 8 pitch inning fired up his teammates and that's when the bats came alive. Momentum is a funny thing in baseball and when it swings your way, it shifts a game dramatically. Two straight errors by the Ancilla third baseman put two DuBois runners on with no outs. Zac Walsh laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance both runners 90 feet.
The next batter, Caleb Bennett hammered a pitch up the middle to single in a run cutting the Ancilla lead to one. Brandon Gettig followed suit and laced a single to right to tie the game at 6 runs apiece while allowing Bennett to reach 3rd. Alessandro Marotto came to bat and dropped a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Bennett giving DuBois its first lead of the game.
Freshman Kenny Heverly then ripped a double to the left-center gap to score Gettig. Ancilla got out of the inning after that, but not before more damage had been done by the DuBois batters.
In the top of the 6th Zetwick gave up a lead off walk but kept his composure and recorded a strike out and induced a pitcher's best friend; a ground ball to short that resulted in an inning ending double play.
In the bottom half of the frame, the DuBois hit parade continued highlighted by a Clayton Butler two run blast over the left center wall that padded the lead to 10-6. Zac Walsh followed the dinger with a base on balls, and Caleb Bennett continued his hot hand lining a double to deep left center that nearly cleared the fence.
With Walsh at third and Bennett at 2nd, Brandon Gettig singled in Walsh and Kenny Heverly singled in Bennett to double the lead to 12-6.
In the top of the 7th, Zetwick started with a lead off walk. Back to back hits by Ancilla plated a run, but this was to be Zetwick's day as he regained his form to retire the next three batters and close out the great comeback victory.
For his efforts Zetwick earned the pitching win, and DuBois improved to 6-5 on the season.
Penn State returns home to Pennsylvania tomorrow and will have a few days off to rest before practice resumes Sunday. The next game for PSU is their home opener on Saturday March 18th against Houghton. First pitch that day is set for 1pm.
PSU would like to thank all of our fans and family members who traveled to Myrtle Beach to support our team. We'll see you at Showers Field soon!