ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Baseball team came back from two separate deficits but could not get over the hump as they settled for an 11-inning tie against Penn State Berks in non-conference action. The final score was 8-8.
 
After a nice 6-4-3 double play ended the top of the first inning, Donovan Brooks led by getting hit by a pitch. He immediately stole second, then third, to move into prime scoring position. Anthony Rakotz drove him home with a grounder and the Knights had the early 1-0 lead.
 
The lead wouldn't last long as Penn State Berks scored twice in the second on bases loaded walks. In the third, an RBI single to left, an RBI grounder, and an RBI double made it 5-1. In the fourth, Neumann started to chip away at the lead. With one out, Jackson Armiger and Alex Gambol hit back-to-back singles. Brody Foltz reached on an error to load the bases and Brayden Fields hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Armiger.
 
Tyler Kilmer led off the sixth with a walk and stole second. He came in to score on a Gambol RBI double, pulling the Knights within two. In the eighth, Armiger led off with a single up the middle and Gambol walked. After a pitching change, Jordan Tocci sacrificed the runner up 90 feet and two batters later, Brooks drove them both in with a triple to the right field wall, tying the game.
 
The Nittany Lions responded in the top of the ninth as they plated two runs on a single and another on an error for an 8-5 advantage. Nick Ciesielka led off the bottom of the innings with a four-pitch walk and JerVal Shuler doubled down the left line, moving Ciesielka to third. Kilmer drove in Ciesielka with an RBI single. After he stole second, Armiger advanced him to third on a bunt base hit. Gambol drove in the tying run on a bunt to the pitcher, but from there, either team could get that winning out before darkness ended the game.
 
Neumann's bullpen was a main reason that they were able to comeback from the early 5-1 lead. Gatlin Hovenstine, Jack Holladay, Tommy Angelucci, and Andreas Johnson combined for six innings of shutout baseball. Over that time, they allowed five hits and two walks while striking out eight. In extra innings, Max Brown went two hitless innings, striking out two. Offensively, Armiger was the top hitter, going 3 for 5 with two runs scored. Gambol was 2 for 4 with a double, two RBI, and a run score while Kilmer drove in two and scored twice.
 
Neumann (6-5-1, 1-2 Atlantic East) is scheduled to return to action on Friday for a 3:00 PM first pitch against Atlantic East Conference foe, Saint Elizabeth University.