LA PLUME, Pa. - Sunday calls for a rematch of the 2024 final as Keystone College and Penn State Harrisburg advanced after Day Two of the 2025 United East Baseball Championship Double Elimination Round. No. 5 Cairn University started the day with a win as they eliminated No. 3 St. Mary’s College of Maryland with an 11-2 win. Top-seeded Keystone then solidified their Sunday spot as they downed No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg 12-8, in game two. Harrisburg bounced back though with a big 26-12 win against Cairn to eliminate the Highlanders.
Keystone and Harrisburg will now battle for the title on Sunday with the Giants needing just one win and Harrisburg needing two. Sunday’s first game will begin at 10 AM with the “if necessary” game to immediately follow.
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No. 5 Cairn University def. No. 3 St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 11-2 (BOX SCORE)
The Highlanders saw their offense thrive as all but one player in the starting lineup registered a hit on the day. Dylan Jackson was on fire as he went 3-for-4 from the lead off position, knocking a pair of doubles while also driving in three runs. Tyler Warr also came away with a trio of hits as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Nathan Schurga and Andrew Holt finished the day with two hits each to add to the offense.
Ian Walters was the lone multi-hit Seahawk player, going 3-for-4 on the day.
Nick Benson posted a complete game gem from the rubber, allowing just eight hits and a pair of runs as he picked up his first win of the season.
No. 1 Keystone College def. No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg, 12-8 (BOX SCORE)
The bats were alive in both dugouts with the teams combining for 30 hits. Harrisburg was the first to strike, adding one in the second. They’d tack on two more and held a 3-0 win going into the sixth. That’s when Keystone’s Andy Rivas turned the tides as he hit a solo shot followed by a Darren Hagan RBI single. Harrisburg answered with a four run seventh, highlighted by a two-run homer from Lucas Floyd. The Giants offensive floodgates were open though and they plated six, including another Rivas dinger. The Lions knotted things at 8-8 in the top of the eighth but a four run bottom of the inning for Keystone sealed the Giants Sunday spot.
Six different pitchers took to the rubber for Keystone but it was the final hurler, Nate Ewing, who picked up the win. Ewing threw the final 2.0 innings, allowing just one run and a pair of hits.
No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg def. No. 5 Cairn University, 26-12 (BOX SCORE)
Coming off a tough loss in the previous game, the Lions showed no signs of a letdown as they scored 19 unanswered runs through the first four innings. The Highlanders tried to chip away at the lead with a six-run sixth but the Harrisburg offense kept humming as they added another four to make it 23-6 after six. Another six-run inning in the eighth gave a slight chance for Cairn but Harrisburg once again countered with three in the bottom of the frame to solidify the win.
A total of 17 Harrisburg players registered a hit, giving the squad 29 hits at the games completion. Carlos Irizarry was on fire as he went 3-for-3 with four RBI. Leadoff man Blaine Waltimyer also performed well as he went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple.
Harrisburg saw seven players take to the bump, including the starter Christian Lubic II who only threw the first 2.0 innings. The Lions’ second pitcher, Jack Maguire, tossed the next 3.2 frames picking up the victory in the process.
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The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.