MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Miscues cost No. 14 Penn State Harrisburg in the team's 7-3 loss to No. 22/24 Randolph-Macon in Game 4 of the NCAA Regional hosted by Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon, May 18. 

Fisher Druck turned in a stellar start on the mound, allowing just four hits and one earned run with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Coy Schwanger and Drew Bechtold were the lone Penn State Harrisburg players to have multi-hit games. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Despite matching Randolph-Macon (30-13) in hits at seven apiece, the Lions (35-10) were plagued by three errors, a pair of balks, and a couple of free bases in Saturday's NCAA Regional setback. The Yellow Jackets advanced in the winner's bracket, while Penn State Harrisburg will have to win three straight to keep its season alive. 

The Lions scored the game's first run when an RBI groundout from Drew Sassaman plated Bechtold from third base in the bottom of the third but Randolph-Macon answered back in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of an error to score the tying run, but Druck worked out of trouble thanks to a brilliant diving catch in foul territory by Bechtold on a Matt Myers bunt attempt and a groundout to end the frame. 

The visitors broke through with the game's first big swing when Chaz Harvey hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth and Penn State Harrisburg's attempt at an answer was thwarted thanks to a double play in the bottom half. In the seventh, the Yellow Jackets were aided by a passed ball, a hit by pitch, and an error, tacking on two more to make it 5-1. 

The Lions, who had been held to one hit through the first five stanzas, had an opportunity to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the seventh but left the bases loaded. They loaded them up again in the eighth before Schwanger came through with an RBI single that scored Sassaman and Blaine Waltimyer's gutsy 12-pitch at-bat resulted in an RBI groundout that drove in Carlos Irizarry to cut the deficit to two after eight. 

Randolph-Macon took advantage of more Penn State Harrisburg mistakes in the ninth, however, as two walks, two passed balls, a balk, and a hit by pitch allowed the Yellow Jackets to plate two more and push the advantage back to four. Brendan Henn doubled with two away in the bottom of the ninth but RMC reliever Michael Shanahan put an end to a potential two-out rally by inducing a ground ball to shortstop to end the game.

NOTABLES

- Druck was excellent, surrendering just one earned run on four hits in 5.1 innings of work. He struck out four and did not allow a walk. 

- Bechtold was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

- Schwanger finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. 

- The Lions left six runners on base in the final three innings. 

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions face Elizabethtown in an elimination game on Sunday morning. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. The winner of Sunday's first contest will face Randolph-Macon at 2:30 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED 

Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.