TARENTUM, Pa. – In the first Penn State New Kensington athletic conference in a year, the baseball program fell shy in its home opener, 4-2 and 4-3, against Penn State Brandywine on Saturday.

In game one, Brandywine quickly took the lead over New Kensington after scoring three runs in the first inning and one more in the second.  

New Kensington pushed to narrow Brandywine's 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff walk by Jared Busche (Pittsburgh, Pa./Gateway), Tallon Auth (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) doubled to left field. An RBI-grounder by teammate Zachary Kerr (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) brought Busche home for New Kensington's first run and get Auth to third. Auth later scored on a Brandywine error, making the score 4-2, where it would stay.

New Kensington's Thomas Santiago Jr. (Jersey City, N.J./M.E.T.S. Charter) took the loss, giving up three earned runs in four innings of work. Auth pitched three scoreless innings.

In game two, New Kensington forced extra innings, but Brandywine went on to take the nightcap, 4-3.  

Going into the bottom of the sixth, New Kensington was down 2-0 after giving up two solo home runs. Santiago led off the inning with a double to left field and advanced to third on a ground out. A play later, New Kensington was facing two outs with Santiago Jr. still stuck on third.  

Auth answered the call with a home run to left field to tie the game 2-2.

Brandywine took the lead 3-2 in the top of the seventh, but New Kensington was ready to answer back in the bottom of half of the inning.  Max Oliveri (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) was hit by a pitch and headed to first. After stealing second, Oliveri later made his way over to third on a ground out. New Kensington was again up against two outs, but a Santiago RBI single sent Oliveri home to send the game into extra innings.

An eighth inning home run from Brandywine went unanswered by New Kensington and the visitors took the win, 4-3.

Auth went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, and Santiago was 2-for-3 with a double. Reise Matson (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) also doubled. Pitcher Brandon Underwood (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) was on the mound for five innings, striking out five.  

New Kensington returns to play Sunday, March 14 at 2 p.m. as they take on Penn State Fayette. 

Written by Janet Surma