He may be in sixth place in batting average on the team, but junior Kyle Armeny's stats don't tell the whole story.
That's what Yale found out on Saturday when the first baseman connected for a single in Game 1 of the doubleheader in extra innings.
The timely hit broke the tie that had been knotted up at six runs apiece and served as the catalyst to a six-run inning to give Penn its first win in extras of the season, 12-6.
"Having a level head has helped me a lot," Armeny said of his recent success in the clutch. "I'm just staying focused on getting a good pitch to hit rather than worrying about all the other stuff going on."
The Quakers went on to win Game 2 to sweep the Elis, 9-1, on a five-hit, complete-game outing by freshman pitcher Jim Birmingham.
"I'm very pleased we were able to pitch well and bunch some hits together," Penn coach John Cole said of the wins. "It was nice to see the offense really spark on the weekend so far."
Armeny's hit in extras was just one of his 5-for-9 day that included five runs plated and four batted in.
The junior carried his momentum into Game 2 with a leadoff homerun in the seventh inning to extend the Quakers' lead over Yale.
"Kyle's really made some nice adjustments and he's starting to drive some balls," Cole said. "He really is a good student of the game so I'm very happy to see he's getting hot."
In a fashion that was similar to last weekend's wins, some of the key offensive production came from the bottom of the order. This day's unlikely hero was third baseman Matt Toffaletti, who had a seventh-inning three-run shot in Game 2.
The freshman went 5-for-10 on the day, racking up six RBIs in the sweep.
Senior Joey Boaen also continued to improve on Saturday, notching four hits and four RBIs over the course of the two games.
A combined pitching effort from Joe Thornton, Reid Terry and Andy Console held the Elis' bats to eight hits over eight innings, and snapped Yale catcher Ryan Lavarnway's Ivy League record 25-game hitting streak.
Console continued to thrive in the closer position, holding Yale (7-18, 1-5) scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings to secure the win.
Birmingham led the way in the Game 2 win for Penn, (12-12, 6-4 Ivy) throwing seven strikeouts and allowing just one run in a standout performance that earned the freshman his second collegiate win.
Inclement weather in Providence prevented the Quakers from completing the second doubleheader of the four-game road trip, which was scheduled to take place at Brown on Sunday.
The games have been moved to today, forcing the team to bide their time in a hotel as the bitter weather passes.
Coach Cole said he does not expect the delay to cause any loss of focus, and is optimistic about Penn's chances of securing two more victories, especially given the team's performance on Saturday.
The pair of victories puts the Quakers above the .500 mark in Ivy League play and just one game back from Lou Gehrig division-leading Cornell.
"We're giving ourselves a shot," Cole said. "But you're only as good as your last game, so yesterday's over and now we have to move on and try to get through" Brown.
