Joseph walks it off again in Game 1, Knights sweep doubleheader on Senior Night
By Paul Miller
Knightly News Co-Adviser
Photos by Noah Lopez
Knightly News President
noah.lopez@mymail.centralpenn.edu
The Central Penn College Knights swept a doubleheader against Penn State York on Senior Night, rallying in the first game to win 4-3 and rolling in the second game 11-0 on Community Night at FNB Field on City Island in Harrisburg. The Knights kept their home winning streak alive at 11 games.
Game 1
Wyatt Koser took the mound for his first home start of the season due to injury, and he was as sharp as ever, keeping the Knights in the game throughout in his final regular season start with Central Penn. It did not start easy for Koser, though.
His opposing starting pitcher, Ben Blydenburgh, led off the game with a walk. After Brian Hauer entered as a courtesy runner, he promptly stole second. After a passed ball, Hauer moved to third and was then brought in with a Sam Gapen sacrifice fly to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead. Koser then struck out Jonathan Miller to end the inning without further issue.
In the bottom of the first, the Knights looked poised to take control of the game, as JaMarcus Wilson walked to lead off the inning, followed by a David Thomas double. After a Tanner McCoy walk, Nic Joseph bounced a ball to third that scored Wilson. With two runners in scoring position and only one out, the Knights were unable to get anything further after Gabe Kaufman flew out and Jordan McCahan struck out.
After a 1-2-3 inning from Koser in the top of the second, the Knights looked to be in business in the bottom half of the inning, after back-to-back walks from Tanner Boyd and Darwin Cruz gave the Knights two baserunners with no one out. But the Knights could not push anything across in the second, with two flyouts and a strikeout.
Koser continued to deal in the third and fourth innings, only allowing a walk during the two frames. In the third, the Knights were able to squash a potential rally as Boyd threw out a runner at second base to end the inning.
But, as good as Koser was, Blydenburgh was his equal. In the third, he pitched around a Kaufman single to keep the Knights at bay, and worked around a bases-loaded jam to get out of the inning unscathed in the fourth.
After another brilliant inning from Koser in the top of the fifth, the Knights were finally able to show signs of life. As Kaufman came up to the plate, with the Community Night crowd ready to erupt, he launched one of the longest home runs you’ll ever see, clearing the Ollie’s Cheap Seats in left and landing on the concourse outside of the Harrisburg Senators team store. This gave the Knights a 2-1 lead heading to the sixth inning.
But that lead would be short-lived, as Blydenburgh led off the top of the sixth inning with a long ball of his own, again knotting the score at two. Koser was able to get out of the sixth by retiring the next three batters, striking out two of them. The Knights were unable to get anything going in the bottom of the sixth after Tyrell Smith-Cole was doubled up at first to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, after getting two quick outs, Koser ran into a little trouble. After a Zach Cole walk, Jasper Lea tripled, driving in Cole and giving the Nittany Lions the lead, 3-2. Head Coach Chaz Stevens summoned Anthony Garcia from the bullpen, who induced a Jared Hollabaugh pop-up to end the threat.
Down one going into the final inning, the Knights were able to immediately set the tone in the bottom of the seventh. Wilson led off the inning with a ringing double off the right-field wall. Then, in a surprising move, Penn State York intentionally walked David Thomas, putting the winning run on base with nobody out. After a Tanner McCoy walk to load the bases, Nic Joseph stepped in. Joseph, who already had a walk-off homerun earlier this season against Christendom, delivered again in the clutch with a two-run double, clinching the victory for the Knights, 4-3.
The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game was Joseph, who went 1-for-4 and drove in 3 RBIs, including the game winner. Koser was sharp in the outing, lasting 6 2/3 innings, allowing only two hits while striking out nine. Wilson went 2-for-3 with two runs and a walk, while Kaufman went 2-for-3 with the fifth-inning home run.
Game 2
After a dramatic walk-off victory in Game 1, it remained to be seen what the Knights could do in Game 2. But from the onset the Knights dominated the second contest.
The Knights sent senior ace Cameron Smiley to the hill, and he continued his dominant ways. After allowing two singles, Boyd threw out Kyle Mazzie at second base, then Smiley got AJ Miller to fly out to end the threat.
The Knights got the bats going early in the second game, starting with a Wilson single, who then quickly stole second. After a McCoy single, Nick Walter grounded out to second base, driving in Wilson. Kaufman then singled, driving in another run. Then, Jordon McCahan tripled off the right field wall, plating another. Boyd then continued the rally with another single, driving in the fourth run of the inning, giving the Knights a 4-0 lead after the first.
After Smiley navigated a clean second inning, the Knights continued to pile on the runs. After Cruz struck out, he was able to reach first base on a passed ball. Then, Wilson walked and Thomas singled to load the bases. After Cruz was thrown out at home after a groundout, Wilson was able to score on a wild pitch, giving the Knights a 5-0 lead.
Smiley continued his dominant ways in the third, pitching around a walk to retire the side without issue. And his bats continued to give him some breathing room in the bottom half of the inning. After Boyd and Smith-Cole reached base, Wilson struck again, this time with a ringing single, driving in two more. After three, the Knights were in command, 7-0.
After Smiley sat down the side 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, the Knights continued their offensive barrage. After a McCoy double and two walks, the bases were again loaded for Central Penn. McCahan laced a single, driving in a run, then Walter scored on a wild pitch. Boyd followed that with a sacrifice fly, plating another run, while Smith-Cole kept things going with a single and another run batted in. At the end of the fourth, the Knights held a commanding 11-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, all the Knights had to do was hold the 10-run lead to win the contest, and that they did. After Smiley induced a groundout from Hauer, Sam Royer got the call to close out the game. Royer quickly closed out the game, getting a flyout and a groundout from Penn State York, nailing down the 11-0 victory and giving the Knights a perfect 11-0 record at FNB Field during the 2026 campaign.
The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game was Wilson, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs and a steal. McCahan was also 2-for-3 with two runs, while McCoy chipped in two hits of his own. Smiley went 4 1/3 innings, allowing only the two first-inning hits, striking out two.
For the Knights, they had to win both games a bit differently, showing their resilience in Game 1 and their offensive prowess in Game 2. With these victories, the Knights will host the ESAC Championship Game on Saturday at FNB Field. Due to an early-season postponement with their opponent, Bucks County Community College, the Knights will take on the Centurions in a regular-season contest at noon, followed by the ESAC Championship Game at 2 p.m.