AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Penn State Altoona baseball team continued its week in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Sunday, when the Lions took on Utica University in a doubleheader at Lake Myrtle Park.

Penn State Altoona (5-2) posted a lopsided win in game one, prevailing 18-9. But Utica (3-2) came back with a 10-4 victory over the Lions in game two.

Game One: Penn State Altoona 18, Utica 9

Penn State Altoona exploded for 18 runs on 15 hits in game one of the doubleheader. The Lions led 9-0, before Utica answered with a seven-run second inning to cut its deficit to two. But Penn State Altoona came back with an eight-run third inning, en route to a nine-run victory over the Pioneers.

Five different Lion hitters finished with a multi-hit game.

Jake Hillard (State College, PA/State College) led the way by going 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. Tyreke Green (Altoona, PA/Altoona) was 2-for-2 with three walks, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Harrison Knaupe (Smyrna, DE/Smyrna) went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored, Alex Hlivia (Pennsylvania Furnace, PA/State College) was 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base, and Zach Ingold (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) finished 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Jimmy Mento (Gates County, NC/Gates County) started on the mound for Penn State Altoona and finished with a no decision after going one inning. Michael Labisi (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) tossed the next three innings out of the bullpen and picked up his first win of the season.

Ryan Jackson (Landisville, PA/Hempfield), Cole Suba (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny), and Carter Piercey (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin) each tossed an inning in relief, with none of them allowing an earned run.

The Lions grabbed the early lead when they put two runs on the board in the top of the first. Green reached on a one-out, infield bunt single, then scored one batter later on a Utica fielding error. Benjamin Ettien (Media, PA/Penncrest) followed that with an RBI double to left center, and Penn State Altoona carried a 2-0 lead out of the frame.

The Lions put seven runs on the board in the top of the second to establish a 9-0 advantage. Ingold's two-run double to center started the scoring, and a Jonathan Rauch (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) sacrifice fly to center tacked on another run. Green scored on an error, Hillard drove in a run with his base hit to left, and Brian Chelli (West Hartford, CT/Hall) hit a two-run double to right to extend Penn State Altoona's lead to nine.

But Utica responded with a seven spot of its own in the bottom of the second. Dylan Smith and Josh Duval drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, before Mike Flint's RBI single to left and Ty Montrose's two-run double to right center made it 9-5. Eric Schulteisz brought home a run with his RBI groundout, and a Mike Rockwell sac fly to right brought the Pioneers back to within two, 9-7.

Penn State Altoona reclaimed the lead quickly when it scored eight more runs in the top of the third. Corey Chamberlain (Claysburg, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel) brought home a run with his single through the left side, and Hillard plated a pair with a single down the left-field line. Ettien came home on a wild pitch, and Hlivia hit a two-run single to left one batter later. Hlivia took home on a double steal, and Ingold scored on an error to make it 17-7.

Hlivia's sac fly to right in the top of the fourth scored Hillard, increasing the Lions' lead to 18-7. Utica scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth on an error and a bases-loaded walk, but Penn State Altoona ultimately finished with a nine-run win, 18-9.

Game Two: Utica 10, Penn State Altoona 4

The Lions scored the game's first run in the first inning, but Utica scored 10 runs over the next four-and-a-half innings, and the Pioneers defeated Penn State Altoona by six.

Chamberlain went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, while Ettien, Ingold, and Joe O'Connor (West Grove, PA/Avon Grove) also had hits for the Lions.

Sam Homan (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) got the start at pitcher and took the loss. The lefty went 4 1/3 innings and yielded three earned runs while striking out seven Utica batters. Bryce Smith (Elliotsburg, PA/West Perry) and Piercey each pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief.

The Lions scored in the bottom of the first inning. Ingold led off with a base hit, and he later scored on Chamberlain's two-out double down the right-field line.

Utica jumped ahead in the top of the second inning. Jacob Pian's RBI single tied the game, before Rockwell scored on a fielder's choice and Brendan Berry came home on a wild pitch to give the Pioneers a 3-1 lead.

Utica went on to score three in the fifth, then four more in the sixth to grab a 10-1 advantage.

Penn State Altoona got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Cole Strick's (Windber, PA/Windber) RBI groundout to shortstop, O'Connor's RBI single to left, and Hlivia's sac fly made it 10-4. But the Lions were unable to muster anymore offense, as Utica ended with a six-run win.

Next up, Penn State Altoona baseball goes into the first of its two off days this week tomorrow, and the Lions will return to action on Tuesday, March 11, with a single, 9-inning game against Keystone College. First pitch of that game is set for 12:15 p.m. at Lake Myrtle Park's field #1.