BRADFORD, Pa. - The Penn State Altoona baseball team enjoyed one of its most prolific offensive days in program history Saturday afternoon, collecting 39 runs, 31 hits, and 36 RBI in a doubleheader thumping of Pitt-Bradford.  The Lions rallied to win the opener 16-12 and broke open a close second game for a 23-6 victory.

In the opener, Bradford actually led 10-6 after six full innings before a huge Altoona comeback featuring a 10-run seventh inning turned the tables.  Only three of the 10 runs were earned as UPB made three errors in the inning, and Altoona smacked six hits. 

Grady Luzier (Forest, PA/West Branch) hit a two-run single, and Jim Byers (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg) hit one of his two home runs on the afternoon in the seventh. 

Penn State Altoon used three pitchers including Mike Myers (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs), who pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief and eventually earned the win despite allowing five earned runs.

Bradford starter Gary Schmelzer cruised through six innings and left with the lead.  But the combination of DJ Rose and James Ashley were unable to hang on, allowing the Lions to claim an important Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference win.

Byers, Cord Heine (Malvern, PA/Mercersburg), Jimmy Baum (Shermansdale, PA/West Perry), and John Schall (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) all had two hits apiece in the opener.  Byers finished with four RBI, and Luzier knocked in three runs.

Game two was also much closer than the final score would indicate as another huge seventh inning would prove the difference.  Altoona led 10-6 entering the seventh before putting up 13 runs in the top of the frame to blow the contest open.

The Lions batted around the order and then some in the seventh, smacking 11 of their 19 hits and chasing three different Bradford pitchers from the game.  Heine smacked his eleventh home run of the season and senior pitcher Paul Keith (Smithmill, PA/Moshannon Valley) coasted through six innings to earn the win.

Altoona used nearly every position player on its roster, receiving hits from 11 different players.  Schall, Bobby Reece (Levittown, PA/Neshaminy) and Tyler Stiffler (Altoona, PA/Altoona) each had three hits apiece.

Luzier finished with a game-high five RBI.  The Lions put up five runs in the third inning, got one in the fourth, and scored four in the fifth.  Bradford was unable to keep pace, getting only eight hits off of Keith.

Penn State Altoona improved to 16-12 overall and 7-5 in the AMCC.  The Lions travel to La Roche on Tuesday for a 1:00 PM doubleheader.