HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Penn College split a North Eastern Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader with Keuka College Tuesday at Houghton College. The Wildcats won the first game 5-1 before dropping the nightcap 8-7.
Penn College locked in the No. 2 seed in this weekend's NEAC Playoffs after completing the season at 11-4 NEAC, 23-11 overall.
It is the Wildcats second trip in three years to the NEAC postseason after winning the 2015 Championship as a four seed.
Penn College is scheduled to play No. 3 Penn State Berks Friday in the first round.
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In Game One,
Penn College got an outstanding outing from starting pitcher Brad Walter, who fired a complete-game five-hitter with one run. Walter breezed through the first five innings only allowing two Keuka runners to reach base over that span.
Penn College jumped on Keuka early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first.
Nathaniel Lowe started the game off with a triple down the right field line. Lowe would score when
Cody Cline singled through the right side. Cline would go on to score after stealing second and being driven in by an
Evan Vigna RBI double.
After three scoreless innings, the Wildcats got on the scoreboard in the fifth. Cline again factored into the scoring for Penn College. Cline reached on a bunt single to start the inning. Later in the inning,
Richard Lennon came through with a two out RBI to score Cline and give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
Keuka scored its only run of the game in the sixth on a Dakota Skinner RBI single. The Wolves did have the bases loaded with two outs in the inning but Walter was able to pitch his way out of trouble.
The Wildcats would respond to Keuka getting on the board with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth. With one out,
Dylan Scaringi singled to center field and was immediately brought home by a Lowe triple. Cline would continue his productive day by driving in Lowe one batter later to give Penn College a 5-1 lead.
Cody Cline led the way for the Wildcats offensively with three hits, two RBIs and two runs.
Nathaniel Lowe also had himself a game with two triples, two runs scored and a RBI.
In Game Two
Penn College dropped game two of the doubleheader with Keuka 8-7. It was a back in forth game that saw a number of ties and lead changes.
Keuka opened the scoring in game two with two runs in the top of the second. Penn College would answer right back with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Brittan Kittle and Vigna opened the inning with back-to-back walks for the Wildcats. Kittle scored on a base hit to center field by
Richard Lennon. Both Vigna and Lennon came home when
Cole Hofmann tripled to right center. A Scaringi RBI single to score Hofmann would account for the final Penn College run of the inning.
The Wolves would keep coming with two more runs in the top of third to tie the game at 4-4. Penn College responded with a run in both the third and fourth innings to regain a two-run advantage. Kittle once again led off the inning with a walk in the third and would score on a Hofmann RBI single. In the fourth, it was
Noah Esposito turning a leadoff walk into a run for Penn College when he scored on an error to give the Wildcats a 6-4 lead.
Wild Wildcat pitching helped Keuka score two runs to tie the game at 6-6 in the fifth. Penn College pitchers hit two batters and walked in both Keuka runs during the inning.
The combination of
Ben Flicker and Kittle would help the Wildcats retake the lead in the seventh inning. A one out single by Flicker would quickly turn into a run when Kittle followed him up with a double to left center.
Penn College was unable to hold the lead for long. Two Wolves runs in the top of the eighth were the difference in the game as Keuka went on to an 8-7 victory.
Hofmann had a big game two for Penn College. Hofmann went 2-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Dylan Scaringi added two hits and RBI for the Wildcats.
