Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Jenkintown, Pa. – The Penn State Abington baseball squad completed a series sweep over visiting SUNY Canton earlier Saturday afternoon with victories in both games of a doubleheader. The Nittany Lions used a strong early attack in game one to blank the Kangaroos by a 6-0 score before rallying from behind in game two to take home a 3-2 victory. Diego Melendez and Tom Ditro each earned wins as the starters for the respective contests, and Melendez provided much of the offense himself, going 3-for-6 on the day with two runs scored and 4 RBIs.
 
In game one, the Nittany Lions (5-6, 0-0 NEAC) jumped out to an early lead thanks to runs in each of the first three innings, similar to yesterday's 6-2 win over the 'Roos. In the first, A.J. Vagliani got a two-out rally started with a double to deep center field. Mike Scaringelli got on behind him by taking a pitch to the back, and then both runners moved up on a throwing error by the Canton catcher. Melendez then stepped to the plate, and he rocked a double of his own to deep center field, scoring both baserunners and giving Penn State Abington a 2-0 lead. Melendez would come home himself when Trey Guaglionona singled behind him, making it a 3-0 contest. Then, in the second, the Nittany Lions used another two-out rally to tack on runs. Once again, Vagliani got things started with a double, and Scaringelli drew a walk in the next at-bat. Both runners moved up on a double steal, and then Melendez drilled a ball to short. The Kangaroos shortstop made a tough play to pick the ball cleanly, but threw the ball well beyond the reach of his first baseman, allowing Melendez to go all the way to second and bringing home Vagliani and Scaringelli to make it a 5-0 affair. In the third inning, the Nittany Lions added one more insurance run when Michael Dunlap laced a double down the left field line and a single up the middle from Ted Smallwood brought him home.
 
Melendez had absolutely no problem working on the mound, meanwhile, much less protecting a 6-0 lead. The freshman worked into a small bit of trouble right out of the gate in the first, allowing two singles and a hard-hit double. However, a double play and lazy flyout to left field ended any threat that SUNY Canton (6-8) posed, and from then on Melendez was lights out. He only allowed two more baserunners over the rest of the game, and his stat line is quite extraordinary. He allowed just four hits and no walks while striking out two batters, but more impressively, he faced just 24 batters, three over the minimum for the seven-inning contest. It was his first win on the mound in 2014, and he will certainly be a Nittany Lion to watch as the season continues. Game two was a similar story for Penn State Abington when it came to pitching, as this time it was junior Tom Ditro who put together a great start on the hill. He threw a solid five and one-third innings, allowing just four hits and two unearned runs while striking out two batters. One of those unearned runs came in the first, when an error by the shortstop allowed a SUNY Canton runner to come home and make it a 1-0 game. However, Penn State Abington fought back in the bottom of the fourth to re-tie the game. Melendez drew a one-out walk, and moved to second base on a passed ball. Guaglionona walked behind him, and then Tom Kreiling hit into a fielder's choice that moved Melendez up to third base. Callan Palmer came up with the big two-out RBI with a single into left field, and the game was all square at 1-1.
 
Once again, SUNY Canton took a one run lead with another unearned run. This time, the leadoff batter made it all the way to second base on a dropped fly ball in left field. That runner moved up to third on a single, and then came home on a fielder's choice, putting the visitors back in front by a 2-1 score. However, the Nittany Lions came storming back with yet another rally. Ditro helped his own cause with a single into left field. Vagliani followed that up by reaching on a fielder's choice, but Ditro moved up to second base as well thanks to an error on the shortstop. Scaringelli executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both runners up a bag, and that brought the red-hot Melendez to the plate. Already 6-for-9 on the weekend, the third baseman drove a fastball down the left field line, bringing home Ditro and Vagliani and giving the Nittany Lions the 3-2 lead that they would hang onto for the rest of the game. Solid relief efforts from Tim Hart and Kevin Faber, who combined to pitch an inning and a third hitless, closed out the game and gave the Blue and White their third win in two days.
 
With the series win, Penn State Abington moves their overall record to 5-6 on the year. They'll have a shot at getting back to the .500 mark when they hit the diamond again this Monday for a game against Rowan. The Profs currently hold a 9-2 record and are ranked #10 in the country. Game time is set for 3:30 pm at Alverthorpe Park in Jenkintown.