In one of their few home appearances, members of the boxing club rode crowd support to victories in four consecutive bouts at the Penn State Home Invitational on Saturday.

A thunderous ovation accompanied 132-pounder Jack Ross, who started Penn State's streak, into the ring. Ross stopped Virginia Military Academy's Al McKinnon in the second round.

Ross (2-2) was fired up from the pre-fight instructions and continued in a highly energized style throughout the fight. He stayed inside of McKinnon and traded punches.

"In the beginning I had to come at him every time," Ross said. "I knew he'd keep coming back and smothering me. When he came at me I was trying to work his body."

Two sets of combinations at the end of the first round put Ross in total control of the fight. He continued pressuring McKinnon with right and left hooks to the body until the fight was stopped.

John Dixon (1-1) worked the jab to a unanimous decision over Villanova's Ed Weiner at 172. After dropping the first round on each judges' scorecard, he slowed the fight's pace and kept his distance.

"I think its really the jab that won 'cause it kept him off balance," Dixon said.

Dixon took over the fight in the third round, catching Weiner with two jabs to the head and three hooks to the body in one strong combination.

Kelly Cordes (15-2) entered the ring to a standing ovation and thoroughly out-boxed Lock Haven's Dave McHamer in another 132-pound bout. Cordes, who was knocked out in last year's regional by McHamer, scored a unanimous decision and was named the Invitational's most outstanding boxer.

During the fight McHamer was flat-footed as he looked to land a big right hand. Cordes countered by staying on his toes and constantly ducking and weaving. He shut off any openings by keeping his elbows in tight and either slipped McHamer's punches or picked them off with his gloves.

"I kind of put it all together tonight," Cordes said. "I had been brawling too much lately and not boxing enough. And Craig Bernier -- we kind of work together, we're like our own coaches -- and he said, 'Box tonight, don't brawl.' "

Like the other two boxers, Cordes got stronger as the fight continued. He increased the amount of combinations he put together, even staggering McHamer with a left-right combination at the end of the third.

In the closest fight of the evening, Derek Sierra decisioned Central Connecticut's Mike Campusano in another 172 bout. Campusano was more aggressive but he did not land many clean punches.

At the end of the first round, Sierra caught Campusano with a two rights and a left before the referee stopped the fight for a standing eight count. Again in the second round Sierra scored well by landing a flurry of punches.

Penn State dropped the other two bouts.

At 165, Craig Bernier became the 17th knockout victim in 20 fights for Lock Haven's Manny Rose when he was stopped at the end of the first round. It was the first time Bernier had ever been down.

Rose forced the pace of the fight from the outset by throwing overhand rights. Undaunted, he pursued Bernier the whole round.

The pure power of Rose's punches was evident as he clubbed Bernier with right and left hooks. Bernier tried to protect himself and push the fight to three rounds, but Rose simply punched through the protection.

"With someone that strong, you can put your glove up here and its just like that much more padding to your head," Bernier said.

In only his second collegiate fight, Randy Pogues (1-1) was decisioned by VMI's Shawn Turner at 156. Pogues was knocked down in the first round but came back strong the rest of the fight.

After taking the fall off, two-time All-American Matt Osborne's season debut was spoiled when his opponent did not show.