WILLIAMSPORT, Pa, -- Fourth-seeded Penn College fell to fifth-seeded Cairn by scores of 12-5 and 19-14 in a United East Conference baseball playoff best-of-3 series on Friday afternoon. The Wildcats wrapped up the 2025 season with an 18-18 record while the Highlanders improved to 27-14 and advance to the conference final four next weekend. 

In game one,
Penn College started out strong with a pair of solo home runs over the left field wall by Jaydeon Goebel in the second inning and Nathan Gustkey in the third to build a 2-0 lead. Cairn quickly answered with two runs in the fourth before the Wildcats scored three unanswered runs with one in each of the fifth, six and seventh innings. 

Cairn took control of the game with 10 runs through the eighth and ninth innings and shut down the Wildcats in the bottom of the ninth for the win.

Griffin Vollman was methodical through a season-high seven inning start where he scattered eight hits before being pulled in the eighth inning. Gustkey and Goebel both finished the opening game with two hits and two RBIs.

In game two,
Needing to win to extend their season, Dallas Griess sparked a three-run first inning with a solo home run to right. Goebel added an RBI single to score Gustkey and Matt Munoz drove in Shawn Townsend. The Wildcats added a fourth run in the second inning on a Highlanders wild pitch.

Cairn's offense exploded for 12 runs with three in the third, six in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a 12-5 lead before the Wildcats responded with four runs in both of the fifth and six innings to take a 13-12 lead as Gustkey and Purnell had two-run hits for the Wildcats to regain the lead. 

The Highlanders continued to chomp at the lead with seven runs in the final three innings to seal the series sweep. 

Griess, Gustkey, Goebel and Levi Purnell all finished the game with three hits while Brandon Shane also added a three-run home run in the fifth inning to rack up four RBIs.