Knights sweep doubleheader against Penn State Fayette, run win streak to five games
By Paul Miller
Knightly News Co-Adviser
Photos by Dylan Bowman
Knightly News Photographer/Fellowship Studios – https://www.fellowship-studios.com/
The Central Penn College Knights continued their winning ways on Sunday with a doubleheader sweep against Penn State Fayette on Recruit Knight at FNB Field in Harrisburg. They won Game 1 by a score of 7-4 and Game 2 by a score of 10-5.
Fresh off the heels of one of the most exciting games in Knights history with Nic Joseph’s walk-off home run in extra innings Friday versus Christendom, Central Penn looked to keep things rolling for the home crowd.
Game 1
Central Penn’s ace Cameron Smiley took the hill to start Game 1 and was utterly untouchable over three innings of work, allowing only one baserunner and continuing his dominating ways in the season’s early going. This stability on the mound helped the Knights to get off to a strong start. Two batters into the game for the Knights, Tanner McCoy came up and launched a solo home run to left off of AJ Segarra, starting the scoring for Central Penn.
The Knights continued their scoring in the second inning. After a Tyrell Smith-Cole single, he quickly stole second to get into scoring position. Following a Kyle Brent walk, Jamarcus Wilson, the freshman phenom, drove a single to the outfield to plate Smith-Cole. McCoy followed with another single, driving in Brent to put the Knights up 3-0.
After Smiley’s day was completed, facing just one over the minimum, the Knights continued their hot start offensively. After Joseph got on base via a fielder’s choice, Gabe Kaufman laced a double off the wall to put two runners in scoring position. Jordon McCahan stepped up and drove another double to the gap, plating two more, and giving the Knights a comfortable 5-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, senior Jordan Spadafore entered the game for the Knights and, even with allowing a single and a hit batsman, was able to get out of the inning unscathed. In the bottom of the frame, after Wilson walked, McCoy continued his hot start to the season with a double to the wall, driving in Wilson and adding to the lead, 6-0.
Spadafore did not fare quite as well in the fifth. After a double allowed to Ashton Ray, Connor Perry followed that up with an RBI double. Then, Remington Lessman nearly knocked one out of the park, just bouncing before the right field wall, allowing him to plate Perry with an RBI triple, bringing the score to 6-2.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Josh Vacha came in for Segarra and had trouble finding the strike zone. While he did strike out the side in the inning, he also walked four Central Penn Knights, culminating with Gabe Kaufman drawing a bases-loaded free pass to bring in another run.
While the Knights had a five-run lead, 7-2, the top of the seventh caused the crowd to pause. After getting the first out in the frame, Brayden Kipple got into a jam, allowing back-to-back singles to Ray and Hunter Smiley. Then, Perry walked to load the bases and Lessman flew out for a sacrifice fly. Down to their final out, Penn State Fayette kept hope alive with a Josh Vacha single, plating Smiley. But Kipple was able to close the door on Penn State Fayette, getting Manny Stitch to line out to end the game, giving the Knights a 7-4 victory.
The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game was McCoy, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs, continuing to lead the Knights’ high-powered offense. Also having a strong day at the plate, Macahan was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.
Game 2
In Game 2, the Knights sent Sam Royer, fresh off a complete game shutout earlier this week, to the mound to continue the momentum built by the Knights during their four-game winning streak. Royer promptly sat down Penn State Fayette in order in the first on only eight pitches.
Royer did struggle slightly in the second inning. With one out, Joshua Gonzalez walked and Smiley was hit by a pitch, allowing runners at first and second. Then, Tyler Marra singled to load the bases and James Knapton singled and drove in a run, keeping the bases loaded. After a Jonathan Vasbinder strikeout, Perry singled and drove in a second run, giving Penn State Fayette an early 2-0 lead.
But the Knights did not trail for long in this contest. Penn State Fayette’s pitcher, Brogan Meighen, got two quick outs in the bottom of the second, but back-to-back singles from Jack Getty and Darwin Cruz turned the lineup over to the top of the order. Robinson made his presence felt by promptly depositing the 1-1 pitch into the left-field stands for a home run, putting the Knights on top, 3-2.
In the top of the third, Royer pitched around a walk to retire the side, and that is when Central Penn’s momentum went to a new level, with the Knights putting up four runs in the bottom of the third. Joseph led off with a single, followed by a Roniel Morel walk. After a misplayed ball by Penn State Fayette, Joseph made a heads-up play and scored, also allowing Morel to go to third. McCahan then singled to drive in Morel, who was then driven in on a Getty single. Later in the inning, Wilson added another RBI with a sacrifice fly, giving the Knights a 7-2 lead after three innings.
With Royer settling down on the mound, he was able to put zeroes on the scoreboard for the next three innings, allowing Central Penn to extend their lead, tacking on a run in each of those innings. In the fourth, Joseph scored on a wild pitch. In the fifth, Tyler Haynes drove in Cruz on a sacrifice fly, while in the sixth, Getty drove in McCahan with a single, extending the Knights’ lead to 10-2 going into the final frame.
With a comfortable lead, it seemed certain that the Knights were on their way to their fifth straight victory, but Penn State Fayette put up a fight in the top of the seventh. To lead off the inning, Vasbinder walked, followed by a massive home run by Perry, bringing the score to 10-4. Royer was able to get Lessman to pop out, then walked Todd Kowalcyk. Royer, facing his final batter, got Frank Macioce to fly out to bring the Knights within an out of victory. But Royer had seen the end of his day, and Coach Chaz Stevens went to Kipple to close out the contest.
In his first batter, Kipple allowed Lucas Vilchez to single to load the bases, followed by a Marra RBI walk, bringing the score to 10-5. But Kipple was able to buckle down and induce a flyout by Knapton to end the game and give the Knights their fifth straight victory.
The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game in the second contest was Cruz, going 2-for-3 with three steals and two runs. Additionally, Getty was 3-for-4 with two RBI, and McCahan was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
With this victory, the Knights improved to 5-2 on the season. They return home to FNB Field on Wednesday for an ESAC Conference matchup with Williamson Trade, with the first game starting at 2 p.m.
During the game, Paul Miller and Parker Rose were on the call. The Knightly News will be broadcasting all of the Central Penn College home contests on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to be notified about our future broadcasts!
