PROVIDENCE, R.I. - After inclement weather forced a venue change for the three-game weekend series, Penn (4-13, 0-2 Ivy) faltered in its opening Ivy League doubleheader at Brown (6-7, 2-0 Ivy). The Quakers dropped the first matchup via extra innings, 7-6, and then suffered a 4-1 decision in game two. The Quakers' pitching rotation worked well through both games, initially leaning on the sophomore duo of Mitchell Holcomb and Christian Scafidi in Game 1 before turning to senior Gabe Kleiman and sophomore Dylan Mulvihill in the second matchup. On the day, the pitching quartet surrendered just four earned runs, striking out 15 along the way, as a majority of the Bears' scoring came off fielding errors.

Game One - Brown 7, Penn 6
WP: Calvin Farris (1-0)
LP:  Christian Scafidi (1-3)
SV: None

Game Two - Brown 4, Penn 1
WP: Will Tomlinson (2-0)
LP: Gabe Kleiman (0-3)
SV: Brennan Vasquez (2)

HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME ONE
The Penn offense sparked early behind sophomore Chris Adams, who knocked a double down the left-field line to lead off the game. After freshman Eduardo Malinowski pushed the sophomore to third with a sacrifice, junior Sean Phelan escorted him home on a deep fly ball to right field, allowing Penn a 1-0 first-inning advantage. Brown knotted the score at 1-1 with a second-inning solo home run, but the Quakers reclaimed the lead with a four-run third inning, as junior Matt McGeagh batted in one with an RBI single before fellow junior Matt O'Neill jacked a three-run homer over the right-field fence. 

A pair of errors helped the Bears cut the margin back to one in the bottom of the fourth, but another Phelan sacrifice fly in the fifth pushed the Quakers back out to a two-score edge. Brown managed a sacrifice fly of its own near the close of the fifth, but the tying run came one out into the ninth as Penn surrendered an RBI single before forcing extra innings with a 6-4-3 double play. The 10th frame proved just as disheartening for the Quakers, as Brown notched a walk-off run after another pair of errors put two runners on base.

On the mound, the sophomore duo of Mitchell Holcomb and Christian Scafidi put in all the work for the Quakers, combining for nine hits, six walks and three earned runs. Scafidi was particularly impressive during his five frames, gauging six strikeouts in a relief role. Meanwhile, Brown's bullpen managed to slow down the Penn offense in the later innings, after the Bears' starter surrendered a quick six runs through just six innings on the bump.

GAME TWO
The Brown offense found traction early in the day's second matchup, grabbing a one-run lead in the third inning and extending it to four in the fifth. Just an hour or so off blasting a three-run homer in game one, O'Neill put Penn on the board to start the seventh as he crushed a fastball over the left-field fence. Unfortunately for the Quakers, the junior catcher's solo jack would serve as their only offense in the back end of the twinbill.

Senior Gabe Kleiman tossed a solid outing in the loss, notching seven strikeouts in as many innings while giving up just one earned run on six hits. Sophomore Dylan Mulvihill took over in the eighth and continued his predecessor's success, allowing no hits with two strikeouts through one inning on the mound.

NEXT UP
The Quakers close out the three-game series with Brown on Sunday, first pitch set for 1 p.m.