BETHANY, W.Va. – The Penn State Altoona baseball team overcame a 12-0 deficit in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader at non-conference opponent Bethany College, ultimately settling for a 13-13 tie in a weather-shortened affair at Bison Park.

The game was called in the eighth inning when severe storms swept into the area, and game two of the doubleheader was canceled.

Bethany (10-23-1) roared out to a big advantage, leading 12-0 after four innings and 13-1 through five. But Penn State Altoona (13-23-1) pulled off a big comeback, scoring five runs in the sixth and seven in the seventh to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Storms halted the game in the top of the eighth, and the teams were forced to end the day with a tie.

Brian Chelli (West Hartford, CT/Hall) was 5-for-5 with three runs scored, two stolen bases, and one RBI, tying for the most hits in a game in Penn State Altoona baseball history. Alex Hlivia (Pennsylvania Furnace, PA/State College) was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base.

James St. Laurent-Friend (Wake Forest, NC/Wake Forest) hit his first collegiate home run for the Lions. Tyreke Green (Altoona, PA/Altoona) was 2-for-6 with a double, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base, Zach Ingold (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and a run, and Fred Guarino IV (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) was 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run.

Jake Hillard (State College, PA/State College) and Corey Chamberlain (Claysburg, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel) had one hit apiece for Penn State Altoona, with Hillard also totaling two runs and two walks and Chamberlain recording an RBI, a run, a walk, and a stolen base.

Carter Piercey (West Chester, PA/Bayard Rustin) started on the mound for the Lions and went one inning in a no decision. Caden Suba (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) pitched the next 2/3 inning, and Ryan Jackson (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) tossed 4 1/3 innings in relief while limiting Bethany to two runs. Brycen Flinton (Denver, PA/Cocalico) pitched a scoreless frame to finish the game.

Bethany grabbed an early lead by getting four runs in during the bottom of the first. Gian DeGenova's two-run single through the left side, Nick Roell's RBI single through the right side, and a Lion error helped the Bison to a 4-0 lead by the inning's end. The Bison boosted their lead to 11-0 with a seven-run second inning, which included four bases-loaded walks. Payton Zupko's RBI base hit to right in the third made it 12-0.

Penn State Altoona got on the board in the top of the fifth, thanks to three straight hits. With one out, Chelli and Chamberlain both singled to left, and Ingold followed that with an RBI double to right that made it 12-1. But Bethany got that run back in the bottom of the fifth on a Grant Schaffner RBI single that put the home team's lead back at 12 runs, 13-1.

The Lions began to cut into the Bethany lead with five runs in the top of the sixth. Hlivia started the frame with a walk, Green came next with a double, and Hillard walked to load the bases with no outs. Chelli's RBI single to left brought in Hlivia, and a wild pitch allowed Green to score in the next at-bat. Cole Strick (Windber, PA/Windber) contributed a sacrifice fly to left to score Hillard, and Guarino's two-run single to right later in the inning made it 13-6.

Penn State Altoona kept pushing in the top of the seventh and successfully completed its comeback bid with seven runs, the majority of which were scored with two outs. With one away, Hillard and Chelli both reached on base hits, and they later scored on Chamberlain's groundout and Ingold's RBI single into right, setting the score at 13-8 with two outs. Friend pinch hit for Penn State Altoona in the next at-bat and sent a pitch over the left-field fence, a two-run homer that made it 13-10. The next batter, Dominic McCaffrey (Spotswood, NJ/St. John Vianney), reached on an error to keep the inning alive, and he later came home on Guarino's RBI single through the left side. Hlivia's RBI single to left made it a one-run game, and Green followed with an RBI base hit up the middle to knot the score at 13-13.

Bethany put the potential winning run aboard in the bottom of the seventh when DeGenova drew a leadoff walk. But Penn State Altoona got a pop out, then turned a double play to end the threat and send the game to extras.

However, in the top of the eighth, the contest was suspended when severe weather descended upon the area. Officials subsequently called the game due to the storms, and game two of the doubleheader was canceled.

Next up, Penn State Altoona baseball will travel to Huntingdon, Pa., on Thursday, May 1, where the Lions will close their regular season against non-conference foe Juniata College. That matchup was originally scheduled to be a single, nine-inning game, but in light of today's cancellation, the teams have decided to turn it into a doubleheader. First pitch on Thursday will now be 1 p.m.