In a spirited opening game of the United East Conference Volt Division Playoffs, Penn State Harrisburg secured a 10-6 victory over St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The top-seeded Nittany Lions improved their season record to 32-7, while the Seahawks dropped to 10-19.
The contest began with Penn State Harrisburg establishing an early lead, scoring four consecutive runs in the initial innings. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the fifth inning when St. Mary’s rallied to level the score. Key hits by Aaron Wathen and Trevor Smith set the stage, followed by Garrett Pullium and Derrick Booker, who drove in runs to tie the game at 4-4.
Despite St. Mary’s comeback, Penn State Harrisburg quickly regained the lead in the latter half of the fifth, pushing the score to 5-4. The seesaw battle continued into the sixth inning when St. Mary’s briefly took a 6-5 lead thanks to Smith’s double and a subsequent error by the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions responded with vigor, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth to reclaim an 8-6 advantage. They solidified their victory with additional runs in the seventh and eighth innings, finishing the game at 10-6.
Key players for St. Mary’s included Derrick Booker, who concluded the game with two hits and three RBIs, and Trevor Smith, who contributed both a hit and an RBI. On the mound, Tommy Brill started for the Seahawks, pitching six innings with nine hits and eight earned runs allowed. Relievers Austin Ferreira, Will Nelson, and Nick Russo also made appearances.
Looking ahead, St. Mary’s aims to bounce back in Game 2 of the Volt Division playoffs, scheduled for May 4th.
