Pitching dominant as Knights sweep Crusaders

By Bret Saveleski

Knightly News Reporter

bret.saveleski@mymail.centralpenn.edu

The Central Penn College Knights baseball team won both games of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon against conference rival Christendom College at FNB Field in Harrisburg. The Knights took the first game 6-2 and won the second game 6-1.

The Knights, coming into the game winning seven of their last 10, looked to continue the positive momentum the team gained in March.

Game 1

The first of the two-game set would see Knights’ ace Cameron Smiley facing off against junior Matt O’Hara for Christendom. This was Smiley’s seventh start on the young season, showing how Central Penn has relied on him to anchor their rotation early on.

Christendom came out of the gates swinging. With two outs in the first, O’Hara reached base safely on an infield single and advanced to second on an errant throw. Cleanup hitter Joe Romero brought him home with a double to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the frame.

The Knights quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Owen Zell got the hit parade started with a groundball through the infield. He quickly advanced to second on a failed pickoff throw that ended up in foul territory before he was caught attempting to steal third.

Then, a David Thomas walk, another pickoff error, and a Tanner McCoy hit by pitch got two runners on before Nic Joseph drove in one on a single. Joseph then swiped second before Kyle Brent walked to load the bases. Gabe Kaufman added a two-run single to give the Knights a 3-1 lead to close out the inning.

Over the next three innings, both pitchers regained their composure and, even with runners on base throughout, no runs were scored for either team.

That all changed in the bottom of the fifth inning. McCoy led off the inning with a sharp grounder that was misplayed by the shortstop. Joseph then blasted a double to drive him in as the Knights extended their lead to 4-1. Some savvy baserunning and a poor throw would allow Joseph to score on a Brent groundout to extend the lead to 5-1.

A single, a sacrifice bunt and three walks would see another run score in the frame. The Crusaders were forced to make a pitching change before the inning ended, with the home team ahead 6-1. Weston Campbell was credited with the RBI walk, his first run driven in of the season.

A sac fly by Rowland Thornberry at the top of the 6th would be the final run scored in the contest as the Knights prevailed 6-2.

Joseph was the Weis Knightly News Player of the Game, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Zell was on base three times in the contest, going 2-for-3 with a walk, while Gabe Kaufman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Smiley turned in another phenomenal performance for the home team. The ace threw a complete game on an efficient 92 pitches. He allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. He has continued to be a reliable rotation arm for the Knights, who has clearly made his claim as the Knights number one starter.

Game 2

The second game featured Colten Zerby on the mound starting his third game for the Knights on the season, with Thornberry starting his second for Christendom.

The contest once again saw the Crusaders start the scoring off. Joe Romero hit a deep double off the left-center field wall before Peter Sullivan drove him in on a single in the top of the second.

However, Central Penn would not be behind for long, as they answered with a three-run bottom of the second. Brent walked to lead off the inning before Tanner Boyd singled and Terrell Smith-Cole reached on an error to load the bases. Zell then singled to drive in two and promptly stole his ninth base of the season. Campbell would draw a walk to load the bases again before Thomas drove in one on a sac fly to give the Knights a 3-1 lead going into the third.

Both teams went down quietly in the third before the home team went on another scoring frenzy in the fourth.

Zell’s speed once again proved a game-changer as he legged out a shallow double to left field to get the bats going with one out. Campbell added another walk and Thomas singled to drive in Zell. Then, McCoy managed a sacrifice fly where Campbell scored and Thomas advanced to third. During the next batter, O’Hara, who was catching this game for the Crusaders, allowed a passed ball, bringing Thomas home. The Knights led 6-1 at the end of the fourth.

The story of the game was Zerby, who turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, earning himself his second Weis Knightly News Player of the Game honor this season. His final line was six innings pitched with one run on two hits and no walks with four strikeouts. Jowan Morales took over in the seventh and ended the game in style, catching the final out on a sharp liner back up the middle.

Zell led the way for the Knights, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Thomas went 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs, while Campbell mirrored his game one performance, going 1-for-2 with two walks.

The Knights continued their dominant pitching in front of the home crowd. This season, the Knights have only allowed more than two runs in a game once, leading to a 6-1 record at FNB Field.

The sweep puts the Knights at 13-6 on the season with a perfect 5-0 conference record. Central Penn will look to carry this momentum into Wednesday’s game when they go on the road to face off against conference rival Williamson Trade for a doubleheader. The Knights will return to FNB Field for Community Night on April 16.