WAYNESBURG, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona baseball team got back on the field Wednesday afternoon, when they split a doubleheader at non-conference opponent Waynesburg University.

Waynesburg (1-1) came from behind to win game one 4-3, before Penn State Altoona (3-1) broke out the bats for a 17-6 victory in the nightcap.

Game One: Waynesburg 4, Penn State Altoona 3

The Lions led 2-0 through four-and-a-half innings, but a four-run bottom of the fifth put the Yellow Jackets on top, and Waynesburg held on to deal Penn State Altoona its first loss of the young season.

Fred Guarino IV (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) accounted for two of Penn State Altoona's three runs, going 2-for-3 with two solo home runs to post his first collegiate multi-homer game. Corey Chamberlain (Claysburg, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel) was 1-for-3 with a solo homer, and Brian Chelli (West Hartford, CT/Hall) went 1-for-3 with a triple.

Jimmy Mento (Gates County, NC/Gates County) made his first start on the mound for the Lions and suffered the loss, pitching five innings, surrendering four runs, and striking out three batters. Michael Labisi (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) pitched a scoreless sixth inning in relief.

After two scoreless innings to open the game, Penn State Altoona put the day's first run on the board with one swing of the bat in the top of the third, when Guarino led off the frame with a home run to left center. Guarino doubled the Lions' lead in the top of the fifth, when he went deep to the same spot to make it 2-0.

But Waynesburg jumped ahead in the bottom of the fifth, using three two-out hits to plate four runs. With two away and a runner in scoring position, Garrett Comer's single into right center put the Yellow Jackets on the board. One batter later, Mike Bell tied the score with his RBI single down the right-field line, and Alec Engelmore followed with a two-run double to right center that put Waynesburg ahead 4-2.

The Lions used the long ball again to make it a one-run game in the next half inning, when Chamberlain's two-out homer to left trimmed the Waynesburg lead to 4-3. But Penn State Altoona was unable to generate any more offense, and the Yellow Jackets closed out a tight win over the Lions in game one.

Game Two: Penn State Altoona 17, Waynesburg 6

Penn State Altoona's offense awoke for 17 runs on 16 hits in the second game of the doubleheader. The Lions' victory was keyed by an 11-run fourth inning that turned a 4-2 lead into a commanding 15-2 advantage.

Four different Lion batters had a three-hit game.

Benjamin Ettien (Media, PA/Penncrest) went 3-for-3 with two doubles, five RBI, and a run scored. Alex Hlivia (Pennsylvania Furnace, PA/State College) finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored. Tyreke Green (Altoona, PA/Altoona) was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored, and Zach Ingold (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) was also 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored.

Chamberlain, Chelli, Labisi, and Jake Hillard (State College, PA/State College) also finished with one hit apiece for the Lions.

On the mound, Sam Homan (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) got the start and finished with a no decision after going 2 2/3 innings and yielding two runs. Sean Wing (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) pitched the next 1 1/3 innings in relief and picked up his second victory of the season. Ryan Jackson (Landisville, PA/Hempfield), Carter Piercey (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin), and Bryce Smith (Elliottsburg, PA/West Perry) each tossed one inning out of the bullpen, with Jackson and Smith both producing scoreless frames.

Penn State Altoona grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. With one out, Chelli was hit by a pitch, then swiped second base to move into scoring position. Ettien followed with an RBI single to center to score the Lions' first run.

Waynesburg evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second, when Hunter Hamilton picked up an RBI on his groundout to second that brought home the runner from third base.

Penn State Altoona responded with a three-run top of the third to jump back on top. After Green singled with one out, Ingold tripled to right to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage. After a groundout, Chelli was again hit by a pitch, putting runners at the corners. Ettien came up with another run-scoring hit in the next at-bat, driving in both runners on his double down the left-field line to make it 4-1.

The Yellow Jackets picked up a run in the bottom of the third, when Seth Burgdolt drew a leadoff walk and later scored on Engelmore's sacrifice fly.

But Penn State Altoona broke the game open in the top of the fourth by getting 11 runs across on 11 hits. With one out, Green began the scoring with a two-run single up the middle, before Chamberlain and Chell hit RBI singles of their own. Ettien drove in two more runs with his double to right center, and Labisi came next with an RBI double to left. With two outs, Hlivia's two-bagger down the left-field line brought home a run, and Green tallied his third RBI of the inning with a run-scoring base hit into center. Ingold's two-run double to right center made it 15-2.

After Waynesburg added a run to its total in the bottom of the fourth, Penn State Altoona increased its lead to 17-3 in the top of the fifth, when Hlivia's two-out, two-run double to right center extended the Lions' lead to 14 runs.

Waynesburg scored three runs in the home half of the sixth to make it 17-6, but Penn State Altoona shut the door on any further scoring by the Yellow Jackets and finished with a comfortable win in game two.

Now, the Penn State Altoona baseball team will prepare for its annual trip to compete in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, where the Lions are scheduled to play a total of 10 games against six different Division III opponents from March 8-15. The team's first game day of the trip is Saturday, March 8, when it will face SUNY Polytechnic Institute in a doubleheader at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale. Game one of that twinbill is set to start at 1:15 p.m.