LA PLUME, Pa. - No. 19/24 Penn State Harrisburg will play for the United East Championship on Sunday thanks to a 26-12 elimination game victory over Cairn on Saturday afternoon, May 10, after falling to No. 24/RV Keystone 12-8 earlier in the day.
The Lions (32-10-1) jumped out to a 3-0 lead against the top-seeded Giants (34-9) in their first outing and led by as much as 7-2 in the sixth but couldn't make the advantage stick, eventually surrendering 10 runs across the final two frames.
Penn State Harrisburg (33-10-1) bounced back in a big way in the game two victory over Cairn (28-16), scoring 15 runs in the first two innings to put things out of reach early. The Lions tacked on four in the sixth and three in the eighth, accumulating 29 total hits in the game.
With the win over the Highlanders, Penn State Harrisburg stayed alive in the United East Championship Tournament and earned the right to face Keystone on Sunday morning. If the Lions are victorious, they'll face the Giants for a second time with the conference title on the line.
NOTABLES
- Danny Eden reached the 200-strikeout mark for his career during the setback to Keystone. He is just the second player in program history to achieve the feat.
- Lucas Floyd went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored in the opener.
- Coy Schwanger had two hits and drove in three runs in the first contest.
- Blaine Waltimyer finished 2-for-4 with a triple, a double and three runs scored against Cairn.
- Carlos Irizarry was 3-for-3 with a double, four runs driven in and another scored in game two.
- Alexander Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and three RBIs in the second outing.
- Brendan Henn doubled in the opener and scored three times in the nightcap.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions will have to defeat top-seeded Keystone twice on Sunday to capture the United East Championship. Game one is set for 10 a.m.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.