ABILENE, Texas – A two-run walk-off shot in the bottom of the ninth inning marred a pitching gem by starter Ryan Dromboski and relievers Carson Ozmer and Will Tobin as the University of Pennsylvania baseball team fell to Abilene Christian, 4-3, in Friday afternoon's season opener at Crutcher Scott Field.
 
The Quakers began the 2024 season at 0-1 for the second straight year while the Wildcats improved to 4-2 on the young campaign in the first-ever meeting between the two squads.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Penn has dropped season openers in back-to-back seasons after falling at South Carolina to begin the 2023 campaign last February.

*The Quakers' top-of-the-order combined for six of the team's 11 hits on the afternoon. Connor Chavez (2-4), Davis Baker (2-4) and Wyatt Henseler (2-4) went a combined 6-for-12 (.500) at the plate with two RBI.

*Henseler extended his season-best hitting streak to 16 games in a row dating back to the tail end of last season.

*Ryan Taylor went 1-for-4 to extend his reached base streak to 16 consecutive games dating back to last season.

*Chavez and Qwynn Ahearn each collected the first hits of their Penn careers.

*Nate Polo went 2-for-4 with two doubles to begin his 2024 season at the plate. He also scored a run.

Henseler and Chavez each doubled once, bringing Penn's total to four in the season opener, the most to begin a season since the Quakers had five against UNC Greensboro on March 2, 2019.

*Ryan Dromboski allowed just two runs on four hits over four innings of work with four strikeouts and five walks to pick up the no decision in his first start of the year.

*Carson Ozmer continued upon his strong end to last season with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, striking out five and walking three with no hits allowed.

How It Happened
Penn got right to work in the top of the first, recording a run on three hits to begin the ballgame. Davis Baker picked up the contest's first hit on a single through the right side, followed by Wyatt Henseler's RBI double to right center to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead.
 
Making his first start of the season, Ryan Dromboski retired the side in the bottom of the first inning on a groundout, strikeout and flyout.
 
Ryan Taylor led off the top of the second inning with a single but was caught stealing by the ACU catcher. Nate Polo followed that up with a double off the center field wall, but the Wildcats retired the next two hitters.
 
In the bottom half of the second, Dromboski surrendered his first hit of the game with two away in the frame but stranded two Abilene Christian baserunners to keep it a one-run game going to the third.
 
Penn totaled two runners on to begin the third—via a Connor Chavez walk and Baker's second hit of the day—and the Quakers took a 2-0 lead on Henseler's SAC-fly to left. Baker ended up stealing second, Jarrett Pokrovsky got a free pass and Nick Spaventa reached on an E6 to load the bases with one retired, but ACU starter Austin Glaze set down the next two Quakers to keep the lead at two.
 
Dromboski allowed two early runners to begin his half of the third and with two gone, ACU tied the game at 2-2 on Gino D'Alessio's two-run single that dropped into right field.
 
It was a rather quiet fourth stanza as the first two Quakers were set down in order, which led to a first-career hit for Chavez, a double to left field. Baker lined out to the first baseman to retire the side. Dromboski avoided danger in the bottom of the fourth, leaving two ACU runners on base following a pair of walks and a single to keep the game knotted. The inning ended on a foul-out in which Henseler made a diving catch against the fence.
 
Penn went down 1-2-3 to begin the fifth, while Carson Ozmer came on to relieve Dromboski in the bottom of the frame. Ozmer retired the first two ACU batters on flyouts and struck out his final hitter looking to strand a runner on heading into the sixth.
 
Polo recorded his second double of the game in the top of the sixth, finding himself over at third base on a passed ball. Gavin Collins worked a count and ended up sending a towering ball over to left field to bring in Polo on the sacrifice to give Penn a 3-2 cushion.
 
The Quakers received another opportunity to tack on runs in the seventh inning after Ozmer retired the side in order to end the sixth with two Ks. Chavez led off the top of the inning with a single, as Penn got two runners on first and second after a walk to Baker. The Red and Blue left two runners on after Pokrovsky struck out looking to end the threat.
 
The Wildcats ended up putting their first two runners on to begin the seventh, putting runners on the corners on an F9. Ozmer stayed cool, calm and collected and struck out back-to-back ACU hitters looking to get out of the jam and remain in front, 3-2.
 
Qwynn Ahearn became the latest Penn freshman to record his first-career hit in the contest in the eighth, but was left stranded along with Chavez after Collins was thrown out at third base.
 
Ozmer was pulled in favor of Will Tobin after retiring the first batter of the eighth, following 3.1 shutout and hitless innings with five strikeouts. Tobin set aside the next couple ACU hitters to head to the ninth with a one-run lead.
 
Penn managed one hit on a Henseler single in the ninth, while Eli Trop entered the game in the bottom of the inning in a save situation. ACU singled to open the inning and following a strikeout, DJ Van Atten rocketed a two-run walk-off home run over the left-field fence to hand the Wildcats the 4-3 win.
 
Up Next
Penn takes on Abilene Christian Saturday in a twin bill at Crutcher Scott Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET with both games streamed live on WAC International. Live stats will also be provided through StatBroadcast.
 
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