Knights split exciting doubleheader against Lehigh Carbon CC

By Andrew Hunter

Knightly News Sports Reporter

andrew.hunter@mymail.centralpenn.edu

The Central Penn College Knights battled hard in a doubleheader versus Lehigh Carbon Community College, winning the first game 8-0 while dropping the second game 7-6.

Due to heavy thunderstorms late Sunday evening, the game was played at In the Net Sports Complex in Palmyra as opposed to the Knights’ home at FNB Field in Harrisburg. The weather was picturesque for the afternoon home contest.

Game 1

Wyatt Koser was the starting pitcher for Game 1, and he did not disappoint. In what was clearly his best outing of the year, Koser only allowed three baserunners in the game, pitching a complete game shutout with no walks and seven strikeouts.

With the best starting pitching performance of the year for the Knights, the game was really never in doubt. Scoring started in the third inning for Central Penn, as they ultimately pushed across four runs in the frame. After Nic Joseph plated a run after reaching base on an error, Zach Boyer, David Thomas and Jefrandy Montero all singled in runs in the productive half-inning.

As Koser continued to cruise in the top of the fourth inning, Tanner McCoy singled and drove in two runs in the bottom of the inning to bring to score to 6-0, giving the Knights a comfortable lead in the contest.

The sixth inning brought another highlight as Harvey McClain III launched a pinch-hit two-run home run to secure the lead for the Knights and lead them to victory. This victory ended a four-game losing streak with which the Knights entered the game.

The Knightly News Player of the Game was Koser, though this was certainly a team effort. McCoy was 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and made several crucial plays at first base during the contest. Boyer was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Gabe Kaufman was 2-for-4 with two runs.

Game 2

After the excitement of a solid victory in Game 1, the second game of the doubleheader started off a bit more rocky than the Knights would have liked.

Starting pitcher Anthony Garcia struggled to make it through two innings, allowing five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched while allowing six hits and walking three.

Still, down 5-0 going to the bottom of the second inning, the Knights did not give up. In the bottom of the second inning, Nick Fulton got the scoring going with an RBI single. The Knights added two more in the bottom of the third as McCoy reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Kaufman. Then, Kevon Davis singled later in the inning, scoring Boyer from third base, bringing the score to 5-3.

The offensive barrage continued in the bottom of the fourth, as Kaufman drove in Owen Zell with a single, and Boyer hit a line-drive double to drive in Kaufman, tying the game at five.

A key to the Knights staying in this game was reliever Zachary Haefner. Entering the game in relief, Haefner tallied 5 1/3 innings pitched, allowing only two runs and striking out six. Without this solid relief appearance, this game may have gotten out of reach for the Knights.

The score stayed the same until the sixth inning when Kain Smith singled in two runs for Lehigh Carbon Community College. But Haefner was able to get out of the inning with no other baserunners, making the score 7-5.

The Knights battled back in the bottom of the sixth, as McCoy drove in Kaufman to make the score 7-6. But the Knights rally was shut down by Robbie Behrens for Lehigh Carbon Community College, working around a jam in the sixth and shutting down the Knights in the seventh to complete the game for the win.

The Knights showed their offensive prowess in this game, with several players having solid days at the plate. The Knightly News Player of the Game was David Thomas, going 1-for-1 with three walks, reaching base all four times he came to the plate. Boyer went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Kaufman was 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Davis was 1-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI.

After the doubleheader split, the Knights stand at 10-9 on the season. They will play four road games this week, followed by a return to FNB Field to take on ESAC rival Williamson Trade on April 23.