CHARLESTON, S.C. – The University of Pennsylvania baseball team found itself in front early with a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning but couldn't hang on in an 11-5 defeat at the College of Charleston Friday afternoon at Patriots Point.
 
The Quakers (3-7) have dropped back-to-back games while the Cougars (9-3) won their second game in a row.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Penn totaled 13 hits on the afternoon, a season-high total so far.
 
*Connor Chavez went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Nick Spaventa (2-for-4) and Jarrett Pokrovsky (2-for-5) each tallied a pair of hits.
 
*Asa Wilson went 1-for-2 with two RBI. He also walked once.
 
*Ryan Dromboski (0-2) was charged with the loss despite a solid start to the game with six strikeouts and only two walks. He ended up surrendering six runs, five earned on six hits.
 
*Anthoni Kiafoulis and Andrew Miehe combined for 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with a strikeout.
 
How It Happened
Connor Chavez got the game started with a leadoff single, as the Penn bats got to work early with two runs in the first inning—an RBI double to center field from Jarrett Pokrovsky and an RBI single from Nate Polo—to get out to a 2-0 edge.
 
Ryan Dromboski retired the side in the bottom of the first, getting two Cougars to strike out, one looking, one swinging to head to the second with the lead.
 
Penn scored another in the second on Wyatt Henseler's sac-fly to right field, scoring Asa Wilson to go ahead, 3-0. Nick Spaventa continued the charge with a two-out single to load the bases, but was thrown out at second on the fielder's choice to end the inning.
 
CofC tallied its first run of the day in the third inning off a Wilson error to cut the Quakers' lead to 3-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, Pokrovsky doubled for the second time and Polo walked to bring up Wilson with one out. He came through with a knock to left center, scoring two runs to add to the advantage, 5-1.
 
But the lead didn't hold in the bottom of the fifth, as the Cougars walked and singled twice with one away to load the bases for Cole Mathis. That's when Mathis ripped a triple to right center field, clearing the bases to make it 5-4. He ended up scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5. CofC scored two more runs by way of another wild pitch and passed ball, respectively, adding one more on a double to lead 8-5 heading into the sixth.
 
Charleston added three more runs in the seventh inning with pitching keeping the Quakers in check to come away with the 11-5 final.
 
Up Next
Saturday's doubleheader was changed to a single game at 1 p.m. due to the incoming inclement weather. That game will be streamed live on FloBaseball with live stats provided.
 
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.