CLINTON, N.Y. – Penn College traveled to New York in a rescheduled NEAC baseball doubleheader to face SUNY Poly. In the Battle of the Wildcats, it took the Penn College Wildcats extra innings to knock off the SUNY Poly Wildcats in the first game 6-1, and then went on to win the second game 5-4. Penn College improved to 13-21 overall, 9-6 NEAC, while SUNY Poly fell to 10-25, 7-10.
In Game One,
The game was a defensive standoff as both teams struggled to bring runs across the plate. Penn College struck first in the top of the sixth inning when
Christian Perna reached base on a bunt. Perna advanced to second base on an
Alex Zelger walk then advanced to third base on a passed ball.
Brittan Kittle followed by ripping a shot to left field to score an RBI and take a 1-0 lead. The lead did not last long as SUNY Poly added a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 1-1. Neither team could score in the seventh inning which sent the game into extra innings.
The Wildcats of Penn College decided to take matters into their own hands. In the top of the eighth inning, Penn Colleges' offense took over the game. Zelger got things started with a single to left field.
Jacob Carles advanced Zelger on a sacrifice bunt. Kittle reached base on hit by pitch. Then
Alex Flicker singled to right center to score Zelger and advanced Kittle to third as the Wildcats took the lead 2-1.
Colton Riley continued the attack with a single followed by a double from
Ethan Ketterman to score a RBI apiece, as the Wildcats go up 4-1. Penn College would go on to score 2 more runs and then hold SUNY Poly scoreless to win the game 6-1.
Zelger paced the Wildcats' offensive attack going 2-4 at-bat with 1 run and 1 RBI. Flicker followed with 2-4 and 1 RBI; Riley, Ketterman and Perna each tallied 1 run and 1 RBI respectively.
Nathan Holt (5-4) continued a dazzling streak on the mound for the Wildcats collecting the win with 8 strikeouts and 0 earned runs.
In Game Two,
The Battle of the Wildcats continued with another spectacular performance. Penn College reached the scoreboard first with bases loaded in the top of the second inning.
Ethan Ketterman flied out to center field on a sacrifice fly to score
Richard Lennon. Then
Colton Riley scored on a wild pitch as Penn College took a 2-0 lead.
SUNY Poly defended home field by scoring 1 run in the second and then two more in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead.
The lead didn't last long as Penn College responded in the fourth inning when Lennon singled to left field and then was brought in on a Ketterman single to tie the game at 3-3.
SUNY Poly again answered with 1 run in the bottom of the fourth inning to re-take the lead 4-3.
Down 1 run in the top of the ninth, and final, inning, the Penn College Wildcats took over. With
Jacob Carles reaching base on a walk, and
Brittan Kittle reaching on hit by pitch,
Alex Flicker with the big bat, stepped to the plate and drilled a shot up the middle to score Carles and advance Kittle. Lennon followed suit with a single to right field to score Kittle, which turned out to be the final run of the game, as Penn College took the lead and won the game 5-4.
Lennon led the Wildcats' offense going 4-4 at-bat with 2 runs and 1 RBI. Flicker went 2-5 with 1 RBI and Ketterman added 2 RBI's as well.
Devon Sanders (3-4) gets the win for the Wildcats on the mound going 8 innings with 4 strikeouts.
With the win, Penn College earns a birth in the NEAC playoffs. Penn College continues the trip to New York tomorrow when facing SUNY Poly again, Sunday, May 5th at 12:00pm.
