BRANDYWINE, PA- The men's baseball had one of its' strongest season starts in a single game match-up against the Penn State Brandywine Lions.  The Patriots held an 8-5 lead going into the fourth inning before being overrun by the host school and dropping the game by a final score of 9-20.

There was almost no better way to start off the game between the Lions and the Patriots.  Matt McKenzie made a solid connection to record a double before Josh Strohm sailed the ball out of the park to record his first season homerun.   The Patriots loaded up the bases before Jonathan Hadinger hit the ball through the infield to bring James Comenzo into home for the team's third run.  The Lions pitcher retired the next two batters to bring the inning to a close.

A pair of walks from Patriots pitcher Jonathan Manning allowed the Lions to tie the game after a three-run home run from Charles Hermen.  VFCC was able to close their defense and end the inning, 3-3.

The Patriots recorded four more runs in the top of the second inning, as James Comenzo, Matthew McKenzie, Jared Boothman and Bryce Koch worked their way around the bases.  Keeping the Lions' to just two runs, the Patriots now held their first lead of the season.  By the end of the close of the third inning, VFCC held an 8-5 run advantage over the host school!  That's when the tables took a dramatic turn in favor of the Lions.

Over the course of the next four innings, the Lions terminated the Patriot's offensive streak, keeping them from crossing home plate while going on a run of their own.  The Lions figured out the Patriots' pitchers and recorded a total of 15 additional runs to overtake the game and snatch a possible win from the VFCC.

Josh Strohm went 4-for-5 on the day, recording three runs and two RBI's, while Matthew McKenzie went 2-for-5, notching two runs by the end of the game.

The Patriots face their next opponent on Saturday, April 5.  The men play against host school Cazenovia College with a start time of 12pm.

Go Patriots!