34Weekly2022-23/April 3-9

Penn College baseball, softball showdowns loom

Pennsylvania College of Technology baseball and softball teams had a combined 10-win, 1-loss week as the spring sports season continued. And both teams have big road showdowns looming this week against United East-leading Penn State Harrisburg — softball on Tuesday and baseball on Friday and Saturday.

FLASHBACK

Baseball

A six-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Shane Price, of Kersey, and a two-run single by Jacob Wagner, of Palmyra, helped keep the Wildcats in their home UE game against St. Mary’s (Md.) College on Monday. But it was a solo walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh by Tyler Rudolph, of Hemlock, New York, that provided the winning run in an 8-7 first-game victory and made a winner of relief pitcher Keegan Nytz, of Allentown, who improved to 2-0.

In the nightcap, Penn College rallied from a 6-2 deficit with a seven-run fourth inning and went on for a 13-7 win as it improved to 7-1 in the conference and 12-9 overall. During the game, Rudolph had his second homer of the night and also drove in two runs with a double, while Quinn Hanafin, of Sayre, and Cameron Dick, of Dillsburg, hit home runs, both two-run shots, to help relief pitcher Zac Weaver, of Pottstown, to his fourth win without a loss.

During the twin bill, Jacob Carles, of Bernville, had five hits to hike his career total to 170, surpassing the previous program-best (since 2014) mark of 169 held by Brittan Kittle, of Millville, from 2017-21.

On Friday, in the first of a three-game home UE series against Wells College, the Wildcats scored a 3-1 win while improving to 8-1 in the UE and 13-9 overall. Starting pitcher Ben Bretzman, of Bendersville, went to 3-2 on the season with a five-strikeout, no-walk effort, while teammates Anthony Barbella, of Livingston, New Jersey, and Dick each drove in one run.

Winding up its series with Wells College on Saturday, Penn College won by scores of 7-2 and 6-4 to go to 10-1 in the conference and 15-9 overall.

In the first game, Rudolph had two doubles and plated three runs and Wagner drove in two runs with a single to help starting pitcher Justin Porter, of Fairless Hills, go to 2-0 after a six-hit, one-walk effort.

Rudolph drove in two more runs in the nightcap, while Carles went 4 for 5 at the plate and scored two runs. Starting pitcher Cole Culver, of Titusville, evened his record at 1-1 with the mound win and Nytz pitched the last inning to earn his second save as the team completed a 5-0 week and posted its ninth win in its last 10 games.

United East standings through Sunday: Penn State Harrisburg 12-0, Penn College 10-1, Penn State Abington 7-5, Penn State Berks 7-5, Lancaster Bible College 5-7, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 4-7, Wells College 1-11, Gallaudet University 1-11.

Softball

In a UE doubleheader at Penn State Berks on Tuesday, Penn College won the first game, 2-0, and extended its win string to eight before falling in the nightcap, 8-0, and going to 11-5 overall and 3-1 in the UE.

Pitcher MacKenzie Weaver, of Montoursville, struck out five in delivering the shutout while improving to 6-3, and teammate Jordan Specht, of Frederick, Maryland, drove in the winning run with a third-inning single.

Berks held the upper hand in the second game, limiting the Wildcats to two hits.

Hosting Gallaudet University in UE play on Friday, Penn College won by scores of 10-0 and 9-1 to improve to 5-1 in the conference and 13-5 overall.

Weaver twirled a one-hitter, striking out seven and improving to 7-3 in the opener, while Maddie Hurst, of Mechanicsburg, went 4 for 4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored, and Ivvy Morder, of Mechanicsburg, had a three-run homer.

In the second game, Morder drove in two more runs with her second home run of the day, while Kyla Benner, of Bethlehem, improved to 5-2 on the mound, striking out six and walking none. The 6 K’s gave Benner a career total of 309, surpassing the previous modern (since 2014) mark of 303 set by Morgan Heritage, of New Castle, Delaware, from 2018-20.

The Wildcats made it four wins in a row and 12 of 13 with a UE doubleheader sweep of Lancaster Bible College on Saturday by scores of 7-4 and 8-3.

Hailey DeBrody, of Cogan Station, and Specht each plated two runs to help make a winner of starting pitcher Weaver, who struck out seven and improved to 8-3, in the first game.

Benner improved to 6-2 on the mound in the second game and helped her cause with a two-run double, while Specht and Morder both had three hits and drove in one run each.

United East standings through Sunday: Penn State Harrisburg 8-0, Penn College 7-1, Penn State Berks 6-2, Penn State Abington 5-3, Gallaudet University 5-7, Lancaster Bible College 3-9, Wells College 0-12.

Men’s lacrosse

Penn College outscored Kean University 5-1 in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough to overcome an 11-goal deficit in a 17-10 nonconference loss in men’s lacrosse action at Kean University on Saturday. Penn College now is 9-4 overall.

UE standings through Sunday: St. Mary’s (Md.) College 2-0, SUNY Morrisville 1-0, Hilbert College 2-1, Penn College 1-2, Wells College 0-1, La Roche University 0-2.

Men’s/women’s tennis

Penn College’s men’s and women’s tennis teams both dropped their United East home matches with Penn State Abington on Friday, the men losing 6-3 and the women falling 7-2. The Wildcat men now are 1-1 in the UE and 2-3 overall, while the women are 0-1 UE and 2-4 overall.

Winning for the Wildcat men were Alex Norris, of Williamsport, and Logan Ogden, of South Williamsport, at the third and fifth singles positions, and Norris-Kyle Shuler, of Williamsport, at No. 1 doubles.

Penn College’s women winners were Lauren Peck, of South Williamsport, at No. 2 singles, and Maddie Adams, of Montoursville, at No. 3 singles.

Men’s United East standings through Sunday: Penn State Harrisburg 1-0, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 2-0, Penn State Abington 2-1, Penn College 1-1, Lancaster Bible College 1-1, Penn State Berks 0-1, Clarks Summit University 0-3.

Women’s United East standings through Sunday: St. Mary’s (Md.) College 2-0, Penn State Abington 1-1, Lancaster Bible College 1-1, Penn State Harrisburg 0-0, Penn State Berks 0-1, Penn College 0-1.

SCHEDULES/RECORDS

Baseball

Overall: 15-9

UE: 10-1

(Home games at Bowman Field)

Monday, April 3 — host St. Mary’s (Md.) College (UE, 2), W, 8-7; W, 13-7

Friday, April 7 — host Wells College (UE), W, 3-1

Saturday, April 8 — host Wells College (UE, 2), W, 7-2; W, 6-4

Monday, April 10 — at Pitt-Greensburg, 1 p.m.

Friday, April 14 — at Penn State Harrisburg (UE), 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 15 — at Penn State Harrisburg (UE, 2), noon

Tuesday, April 18 — host Juniata College, 3:30 p.m.

Softball

Overall: 15-5

UE: 7-1

(Home games at Elm Park)

Tuesday, April 4 — at Penn State Berks (UE, 2), W, 2-0, L, 8-0

Friday, April 7 — host Gallaudet University (UE, 2), W, 10-0; W, 9-1

Saturday, April 8 — host Lancaster Bible College (UE, 2), W, 7-4; W, 8-3

Tuesday, April 11 — at Penn State Harrisburg (UE, 2), 3 p.m.

Friday, April 14 — at Wells College (UE, 2), 3 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 — at Penn State Abington (UE, 2), 3 p.m.

Men’s lacrosse

Overall: 9-4

UE: 1-2

Saturday, April 8 — at Kean University, L, 17-10         

Saturday, April 15 — host Hilbert College (UE), 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 — at Montclair State University, noon

Men’s tennis

Overall: 2-3

UE: 1-1

(All home matches at Central PA Tennis Center)

Tuesday, April 4 — at Penn State Berks (UE), ppd.

Friday, April 7 — host Penn State Abington (UE), L, 6-3

Tuesday, April 11 — host Lancaster Bible College (UE), 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 15 — at St. Mary’s (Md.) College (UE), 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 — host Penn State Harrisburg (UE), 1 p.m.

Women’s tennis

Overall: 2-4

UE: 0-1

(All home matches at Central PA Tennis Center)

Tuesday, April 4 — at Penn State Berks (UE), ppd.

Friday, April 7 — host Penn State Abington (UE), L, 7-2

Tuesday, April 11 — host Lancaster Bible College (UE), 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 15 — at St. Mary’s (Md.) College (UE), 1 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 — host Penn State Harrisburg (UE), 1 p.m.

Golf

Monday, April 17 — Penn State Abington Open at Five Ponds Golf Course in Warminster, TBA

Thursday, April 20 — Penn State Altoona Spring Invitational at Sinking Valley Country Club, 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 — Gettysburg College Spring Shootout at Penn National Golf Club, TBA

Sunday, April 23 — Gettysburg College Spring Shootout at Penn National Golf Club, TBA

Esports

(All events at Wildcat Den)

iRacing

Monday, April 3 — CIL Cup Series-Charlotte, 14 and 16 of 40

Tuesday, April 4 — CIL Formula College World Championship — Watkins Glen, 10 of 21

Monday, April 10 — CIL Cup Series-Michigan, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, April 12 — CIL Short Track Showdown-Nashville Fairgrounds, 8 p.m.

Monday, April 17 — CIL Cup Series-Bristol, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 — CIL Formula College World Championship-Interlagos, 8 p.m.

Monday, April 24 — CIL Cup Series-Homestead, Miami, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, April 26 — CIL Short Track Showdown-Five Flags Speedway, 8 p.m.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.