Middletown, Pa.,— The St. Mary’s College of Maryland baseball team (9-12) fell 6-3 and 16-6 to No. 14 Penn State Harrisburg (25-8-1) in a United East Conference doubleheader Saturday at In The Net Sports Complex. Despite late rallies fueled by Corey Brown and Cole Tarleton, the Seahawks couldn’t overcome the Lions’ offensive firepower, marking their second consecutive twin-bill loss to the ranked opponent
In Game 1, both teams went scoreless through four innings until Penn State Harrisburg scored three runs in the fifth. St. Mary’s responded in the sixth when George Berbakos grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Rhett Fletcher, who had singled, to make it 3-1. “The Seahawks and Lions played four scoreless innings before Penn State Harrisburg finally broke the ice in the bottom of the fifth,” per the team’s game summary.
The Lions added three runs in the sixth, leading 6-1. St. Mary’s narrowed the gap in the seventh as Corey Brown scored on a wild pitch after walking. In the ninth, Brown singled, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on Layne Lesko’s single, but the rally ended at 6-3. “Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the comeback attempt ended there as they fell 6-3,” the team’s recap stated.
Corey Brown and Trevor Smith each had two hits, with Berbakos recording the lone RBI. Ryder Chalk took the loss, pitching six innings, allowing five earned runs, and striking out two. Jordan Bonhoff threw two relief innings.
Game 2 saw Penn State Harrisburg score in the first, answered by St. Mary’s in the second via Corey Brown’s RBI single. The Lions then surged with eight runs in the second. “The Lions exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the second,” per the game recap. St. Mary’s fought back in the third with Cole Tarleton’s three-run homer, making it 9-4.
The Lions added seven runs in the fourth and fifth, leading 16-4. In the seventh, Quinn Gillis’ sacrifice fly and Ryan Matthews’ RBI single scored two runs, but the game ended 16-6 in seven innings.
Cole Tarleton had two hits and three RBIs, while Ian Walters recorded three hits. Tommy Brill took the loss, pitching 1.1 innings. Anthony Walsh, David Baggott, Logan Connolly, and Adam Ferony also pitched in relief.
Penn State Harrisburg’s dominance in the United East Conference, where they remain undefeated, was evident. The Lions, 2023 conference champions, average over eight runs per game. St. Mary’s showed offensive spark but struggled with pitching depth. “Despite facing a ranked opponent, St. Mary’s showed flashes of potential; however, consistent offensive performance and pitching will be crucial if they hope to compete effectively moving forward,” a baseball analysis stated.
The Seahawks face Rosemont College next on Tuesday, April 22, at 3 p.m. in Rosemont, Pa. “The Seahawks will look to rebound in their upcoming game against Rosemont on April 22, aiming to improve their standing and regain momentum in the season,” a team preview indicated. St. Mary’s has faced Penn State Harrisburg’s prowess before, losing both games in a 2023 doubleheader (6-2, 6-2) and a 2024 series. Despite the losses, St. Mary’s remains competitive, having reached recent United East Championships.
