Philly Leader

The University of Pennsylvania baseball team faced a tough loss against Saint Joseph's in the Liberty Bell Classic quarterfinals, despite initially holding a significant lead. The game, held at Tommy Lasorda Field at Meiklejohn Stadium, saw Penn take a 10-4 advantage after four innings. However, Saint Joseph's responded with ten unanswered runs to secure a 14-10 victory on Tuesday afternoon. The match concluded after eight innings due to insufficient light.

Pennsylvania's Quakers, now standing at an 8-10 record for the season, will compete against Lafayette next Tuesday in the LBC consolation round. Meanwhile, the Hawks from Saint Joseph's will face Delaware with hopes of advancing to Citizens Bank Park.

The Quakers' recent seven-game winning streak ended with this defeat. This streak was tied for the longest in the nation alongside Arkansas and Central Connecticut State. Notably, this marks Penn's sixth consecutive first-round exit from the Liberty Bell Classic since their last semifinal appearance in 2017.

Key performances for Penn included Davis Baker's three doubles and three RBIs in a 3-for-5 showing. Ernie Echevarria contributed two runs and two walks while throwing out a batter defensively. Aidan von Zuben delivered a strong performance as well, allowing only two runs over three innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

In terms of gameplay highlights, Saint Joseph's initiated scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning. Penn then took control by scoring eight runs during their best inning of the year in the third inning. Contributions came from players like Connor Chavez and Baker leading off with hits, followed by Jarrett Pokrovsky tying it up before Ryan Taylor hit a grand slam to further extend their lead.

Despite these efforts, St. Joe’s comeback began late into the game as they scored four runs in the seventh inning and another six in the eighth to overturn Penn’s lead completely.

Looking ahead, Penn aims to build on its Ivy League success when they play Dartmouth on Saturday at 11:30 AM EDT; fans can catch this doubleheader live via ESPN+ streaming service.

For updates on Penn baseball activities or results follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram or visit their official website at PennAthletics.com.