LATHAM, N.Y. - Keystone College and Penn State Harrisburg saw a number of different results as the two programs competed in Day Two of the NCAA Baseball Regional Round on Saturday.
Keystone College fell, 10-4, to Denison University in their first contest of the day but went on to take down Penn State Behrend, 11-5, to stave off elimination. The Giants will now square off against Denison once again on Sunday. That game will start at noon on Sunday and if the Giants win, the final game will be at 3:30 pm.
Harrisburg resumed their halted game against TCNJ and defeated the Lions 10-5. They then dropped a decision against Salve Regina, 7-4, pitting them back against TCNJ in an elimination game. Weather once again showed up though and that game was halted in the seventh with TCNJ leading 5-0. That contest will resume play on Sunday at 11 AM. If Harrisburg wins, they will then take on Salve Regina and will need to beat them twice in order to move on.
Penn State Harrisburg def. TCNJ, 10-5 (BOX SCORE)
In a game that took place over two days, the Lions got things done on both of them to secure their first win in the Regional Round. It began early on Friday as a Brendan Henn homer plated a pair in the bottom of the first. Lucas Floyd then knocked a two RBI triple to make it 4-0 that same inning. In the bottom of the third, the Lions doubled their lead beginning with a Coy Shwanger single that scored two as a throwing error allowed Alexander Ruiz and Demetre Koutras III to reach home. It then became 8-0 as a Drew Sassman single plated two more. TCNJ scored two before the game was halted in the bottom of the fourth.
Play resumed Saturday morning and TCNJ came out with two more runs in the top of the fifth to half the lead. Harrisburg’s Blaine Waltimyer added one in the bottom of the stanza on a sacrifice fly though. Both teams would notch a run in the ninth inning to complete the game’s scoring.
Fisher Druck got the start on Friday, throwing the four innings played and allowing two runs. Bradyn Eckert was called to the mound as play resumed on Saturday and he’d earn the win as he punched out four over 3.2 innings of work. Dylan Sattazahn picked up his first save of the season, holding TCNJ scoreless over the last 1.1 innings.
Salve Regina University def. Penn State Harrisburg, 7-4 (BOX SCORE)
The Lions used a quick start to go up early once more, scoring three in the opening inning. An error allowed one run to score and Ruiz picked up two RBI with a single later in the frame. The Seahawks put up one run in the second but a Sassman RBI bunt single made it 4-1 going into the fifth. That would be the end of the scoring for Harrisburg while Salve put up six over the next two innings.
Danny Eden suffered the loss on the mound as he went the first 4.2 innings. Sattazahn and Lubic combined to finish out the contest from the rubber.
Denison University def. Keystone College 10-4 (BOX SCORE)
Denison used a big second inning to get four on the board and added a run in both the fourth and fifth to make it 6-0 more than halfway through. Keystone finally got on the board in the sixth and did so courtesy of a Carlos Pascual grand slam. That would be the sole scoring play for the Giants though as Denison plated four more across the next three innings.
United East Pitcher of the Year, Sean Brennan, suffered his first loss of the year (9-1) going the first 6.0 innings.
Keystone College def. Penn State Behrend, 11-5 (BOX SCORE)
Behrend struck first in this battle, scoring a run in each of the first two innings. Griffin Yestremski knotted things back up at 2-2 in the bottom of the second though, homering to score a pair. The Nittany Lions put another on the board in the third but the game once again went to a stalemate as a Chase Boyle RBI single made it 3-3.
The Giants opened up the offensive throttle in the fourth with six runs. Cooper Fesh started things with a double that plated two. A Robert Estrada groundout then allowed another to score. Nate Ewing then cleared loaded bases with a double a couple batters later. Two more were then added in the following frame as both runs came home on fielder’s choice plays. Behrend put two up in the ninth but the lead was too much to overcome.
Leam Powell had a superb outing on the mound picking up the victory as he struck out seven across 7.0 innings of work.
TCNJ vs Penn State Harrisburg, GAME HALTED
For the second time in as many days, Penn State Harrisburg and TCNJ had their game halted due to weather conditions. TCNJ currently holds a 5-0 lead midway through the seventh inning. That game will resume play at 11 AM on Sunday.
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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.