LA PLUME, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg roared to life in the late innings of a 13-5 victory over Lancaster Bible in the final game of the United East Championship Tournament to capture the program's fifth conference title and punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight season.
Blaine Waltimyer was named the tournament's most valuable player (MVP) after slashing .556/.571/.889 with a 1.460 OPS, finishing with a home run, three doubles, two walks, seven runs, and six RBIs across four games on championship weekend. He doubled, drove in three runs, and scored another in Sunday's victory.
James Quici homered, drove in a pair of runs and scored two more, while Nathan Lapp had a four-hit day. Coy Schwanger tripled, scored three times, and tallied three RBIs, while Matthew Johansen drove in the go-ahead runs. Cade Baker earned the win after entering in relief and allowing just two runs to go along with five strikeouts across six innings.
The Chargers (21-18) struck first when Dylan Witkowski slapped a solo home run over the fence in left field in the bottom of the opening stanza but a Waltimyer sacrifice fly that plated Lapp tied things up in the top of the third. LBC answered back in the bottom half, however, when Evan Sareyka's two-out, three-run home run pushed the lead to 5-1 after three.
Despite outhitting the Chargers, Penn State Harrisburg had little to show for it until the fifth, when a Schwanger triple down the right field line scored Kevin Kingsbury from first base and Waltimyer's ensuing double to deep left field plated Schwanger and cut the deficit to two.
The Lions (33-13) finally broke through with the game-changing, big inning they had been denied for much of the day when they erupted for seven runs on seven hits in the top of the seventh. Quici led off with a single to right field and Schwanger's ensuing sac bunt led to an error that resulted in Quici scoring from first and Schwanger standing on third base. Waltimyer followed with a game-tying, RBI single to left field and Demetre Koutras III added a base knock before Johansen gave Penn State Harrisburg a lead it wouldn't relinquish with a single to left field that scored both baserunners.
Before the half-inning was through, Kevin Kingsbury worked a bases-loaded walk, Quici drove in Tim Haftl with a sac fly, and Schwanger stretched the lead to 10-5 with a two-out, RBI single through the left side.
Baker was steady as they come during his six innings on the bump, thwarting the big swings that built Lancaster Bible its early lead. The Lions added insurance with a Haftl RBI in the eighth before Quici swatted a solo home run over the right field fence and Koutras capped the game's scoring with an RBI single in the ninth.
Reliever Bryant Allison entered in the bottom of the ninth and sat down the Chargers 1-2-3 to end the game, set off a celebratory frenzy on the mound, and put the finishing touches on Penn State Harrisburg's latest conference championship.
NOTABLES
- With the win, Penn State Harrisburg captured its fifth conference championship in program history and first since 2023.
- The Lions punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight season and eighth time overall.
- Waltimyer doubled, drove in three runs, and scored another en route to being named conference tournament MVP.
- Quici had three hits, including a home run, scored two runs and drove in two more.
- Lapp racked up four hits and scored a pair of runs.
- Schwanger tripled and tallied three runs and three RBIs.
- Koutras and Alexander Ruiz also had multi-hit games.
- Baker earned his fourth win of the season, allowing just two runs on four hits to go along with five strikeouts in six innings thrown.
- Allison retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions will learn their NCAA Regional destination and opponent during the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament Selection Show airing on NCAA.com on Monday afternoon at 12 p.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.
