FORT PIERCE, Fla. - The Drew University baseball team rallied, but dropped an 11-8 decision to Penn State Behrend during its spring break trip to Florida on Thursday.

The Rangers posted their second-highest scoring output of the season and had six different players bat safely. 

After trailing 4-0 in the first inning, Drew used a pair of big innings to make it a two-run game. The Rangers scored three in the top of the second and four in the fifth, capped by a two-run double from senior Cole Bosch, to pull within 9-7. But the Lions answered with two in the bottom of the frame and held the Rangers to one run the rest of the way.

Junior K.J. Hallgren also drove in a pair of runs for Drew while sophomore Justin Cece and junior Anthony Diaz scored two runs each.

Freshman Connor Ruscansky was a bright spot for the Rangers on the mound, as he tossed three scoreless innings in relief while allowing just one hit.

In the second, sophomore Joey Del Sol and freshman Ryan Jones started the inning with back-to-back singles. A hit batsman, fielder's choice, error, wild pitch, and two walks would lead to three runs as the Rangers pulled to within 4-3.

The Lions (5-2) plated five runs over the next three innings to go up 9-3 before Drew answered with its big fifth inning. Diaz got things started with a walk before Cece and freshman Dallas Lorenzetti followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Hallgren then delivered a two-run single to center before Bosch followed up with his big double to left as the Rangers made it a two-run game.

Ruscansky took the mound to start the sixth inning for Drew. In just his second collegiate outing, he allowed the ball to leave the infield just once and fired a three-up, three-down eighth.

The Rangers tacked on an unearned run in the eighth to make it a three-run game, then threatened in the ninth. With two outs, Bosch was hit by a pitch before freshman Matt Myers drew a walk, but reliever Juston Jones ended the game with a strikeout.

Junior Nick Pellegrino started on the mound for the Rangers and worked three innings before sophomore Brian Lavelle and freshman Dominic Goodenough tossed one inning apiece.

The Rangers play the next-to-last game of their trip on Friday, when they take on Wilkes University at 12:30 p.m. in a rematch of a game on Monday.