READING, Pa. – Penn College recovered from a 3-0 setback to Penn State Berks early Saturday in the North Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball Championship, with a 9-4 win against Penn State Abington in the elimination game. The win pits the Wildcats against Berks, Sunday, 10 a.m., in a rematch of last season's title tilt.
Penn College will have to beat the Nittany Lions twice in order to wear NEAC gold medals. This is Penn College's third championship game appearance in four years.
Against Berks,
Berks tacked on two runs – one unearned -- in the second and one in the fourth and held Penn College hitless through seven innings.
Nathaniel Holt fired six innings for Penn College, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, with four strikeouts and three walks.
Jed Blankenhorn finished the final two innings, allowing just one hit.
Noah Esposito and Nathaniel Holt each finished with a hit for Penn College.
Against Abington,
After the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Penn College answered in the bottom of the frame on Esposito's RBI single and
Alex Zelger's sacrifice fly to center.
Brittan Kittle's double in the third plated
Ben Flicker to put PCT ahead 3-1.
Abington closed the gap to one with a run in the fourth before Flicker got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a single to left.
Abington evened the game in the sixth inning, but Penn College quickly regained the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth.
Cody Cline stole second and Lowe crossed home on an error before another error allowed Cline to score.
Pen College padded its lead in the seventh with three runs to make it 9-4. Lowe's fielder's choice scored led to an error that scored
Colton Riley, another error brought in Lowe, before Flicker's single center plated Zelger.
Devon Sanders improved to 5-0 after 3.2 innings of work. He allowed no run, on one hit, with four strikeouts and three walks. He relieved
Cody Nelson in the sixth after Nelson went 5.1 innings, four runs, on seven hits, with six strikeouts and five walks.
Zelger, Cline, Flicker, Kittle, Riley, Esposito, and Lowe all picked up two hits for Penn College.
