The St. Mary’s College of Maryland baseball team split its United East Conference-opening doubleheader against Penn State Berks on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Hawk’s Nest in St. Mary’s City. The Seahawks fell 15-11 in the high-scoring opener but rebounded strongly to claim a 12-8 victory in the second game, showcasing offensive firepower and resilience in their conference debut.
In Game 1, Penn State Berks built early momentum with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. St. Mary’s responded immediately as Connor Wilkerson doubled to score Eli Shafer, followed by an RBI groundout from Aaron Wathen to tie it at 2-2. The Nittany Lions pulled ahead again with single runs in the fourth and three in the fifth, then added three more in the sixth to lead 9-2.
The Seahawks fought back in the sixth with four runs, highlighted by RBI singles from Rhett Fletcher and Will Wilson, a run on a throwing error, and a sacrifice fly by DJ Sifford, narrowing the gap to 9-6. Penn State Berks answered with an inside-the-park home run by Carsen Brey in the seventh and a four-run ninth capped by a three-run triple from Andrew Seibert.
St. Mary’s mounted a late rally in the ninth, scoring four on RBI singles from Wathen, Wilson, AJ Pyfferoen, and Andrew Harris, but fell short at 15-11. Wilkerson led offensively with two hits, two RBIs, and three runs scored in four at-bats. Wilson contributed two hits and two RBIs, while Shafer scored three times. Jordan Bonhoff (1-3) took the loss on the mound.
Game 2 saw the Seahawks seize control early. They jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Wathen scoring Shafer and a double by Kaden Hnath plating Wilkerson. After Penn State Berks scored once in the second, St. Mary’s added two in the third before exploding for six in the fourth.
Wilkerson’s RBI single started the rally, followed by a two-run triple from Fletcher. A wild pitch, an RBI groundout by Wilson, and additional runs pushed the lead to 10-1. The Nittany Lions cut into the margin with three in the fifth, but St. Mary’s responded with an RBI sacrifice bunt from Hnath in the bottom of the inning and another run in the sixth to reach 12-4.
Penn State Berks rallied for four in the ninth, but Adam Ferony closed it out with the final three outs for his first save. Wilkerson again starred with two hits, three runs, and an RBI. Fletcher drove in two and scored twice, Hnath added two RBIs, and Kyle Catanzaro collected three hits. Ryan Matthews (2-1) earned the win, allowing four runs (one earned) over 4.2 innings.
The split reflects strong offensive output from St. Mary’s, with key contributions from Wilkerson across both games—five runs scored total and multiple hits and RBIs—alongside timely hitting from Fletcher, Wilson, and others. The team demonstrated the ability to respond after adversity in the opener and dominate in the nightcap.
Southern Maryland’s St. Mary’s College of Maryland Seahawks continue to build momentum in the young 2026 season under their program, with recent high-scoring affairs showing potent bats despite some defensive and pitching challenges. The team heads next to Chatham on Wednesday, March 18, for a non-conference contest.
This doubleheader marked the United East Conference opener for both squads, with Penn State Berks also splitting the series in a competitive showcase of offensive baseball.