Myrtle Beach, SC – Chris McLean led the Roos efforts with three hits and two RBIs, but another tough first inning sunk the SUNY Canton baseball team as they dropped a Sunday night contest to the Penn State Beaver Nittany Lions 12-6 in Myrtle Beach.

The game was initially slated as a twin bill beginning at 6 p.m., but due to inclement weather on the South Carolina coast, it was revamped into a single 9-inning game.

THE BASICS

• Result: PSU Beaver 12, SUNY Canton 6
• Location: Griffith Field – Myrtle Beach, SC
• Records: SUNY Canton (1-2) | PSU Beaver (1-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sal Diaz got the offense started in the first inning with a homer into center field, but the bottom of the first proved challenging for SUNY Canton.
• Despite only three hits, the Nittany Lions put up a 6-spot thanks to patience at the plate leading to several walks, and SUNY Canton trailed 6-1 after one inning of action.
• The Roos had a much bigger inning in the top of the second with Jacob Ortiz starting the train with a base hit, followed by an RBI double by Korbin Lovejoy. Later, the bases were loaded and McLean delivered with a single up the middle to plate two more. The fourth run of the inning came across the plate with Eliezer Vázquez simply making solid contact, and Beaver committed an error to make the game 6-5.
• Unfortunately, though, two more runs came around to score for the Nittany Lions in the bottom of the second, then another in the third, followed by two more in the fourth as Beaver brought their lead up to 11-5 4/9^th of the way through the game.
• The offense was quiet from the Roos after the 4-run second inning with just a handful of spread-out hits amassed.  
• SUNY Canton trailed 12-5 in the final inning, but McLean's third single of the night, then a wild pitch, followed by a Jared Paone pinch-hit single gave the Roos their first run since the second inning. However, two strikeouts followed to put the game away with SUNY Canton falling 12-6 in the contest.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Mclean's three-hit game brought the senior's average to .600 early in the season. Lovejoy had two hits, including a run-scoring double while Diaz was 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk.
• The Roos had two good relief outings, the first being from Jayden Cunningham who tossed 3.1 innings, allowing just one run and fanning seven to prevent the Nittany Lion lead from becoming insurmountable. Karter Kenniston followed Cunningham with a shutout bottom of the eighth.
• Pacing the way for Beaver's offense was Christopher Cann who was 4-for-6 with a triple and two runs batted in. Oscar De Luigi shutdown the Roos in his relief appearance with six strong innings of five-hit ball and one run allowed.
• Both teams had 10 hits in the contest, and Beaver committed six errors, although they spread them out well and limited damage when they did occur, only allowing one unearned run to cross the plate. Roos pitching had 12 strikeouts, but walks hurt SUNY Canton, allowing 13 free passes while Beaver only put two on with walks. Offensively, the Roos left 10 runners on base while the Nittany Lions left on 13.

WHAT'S NEXT?
SUNY Canton will continue their trip with a twin bill against the Olivet Comets starting tomorrow at 1 p.m.    
   

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 25 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.