Through the rain-filled weather and cloudy skies, the Elizabethtown College baseball team took on Landmark Conference opponent Lycoming College in a three-game series over the weekend. Sitting one place behind the Warriors, the Blue Jays hoped to capitalize on their home field and move further into playoff contention in the tail-end of the schedule. Lycoming came into the weekend searching for their first recorded win against Etown since 1968 when the Warriors had played at Brandon Park in Williamsport, rather than at their current field.
In the first game, Lycoming got out to a hot start at the top of the first, with a triple, two singles and a sacrifice fly bringing in the first three runs. Junior infielder David Woolley and outfielder Mason Woolwine got the Blue Jays in the hit column in the first inning, hitting two singles. However, Etown couldn’t capitalize after hitting into a double play. The Blue Jays got their first runs on the board after first-year outfielder Nick Fiorini singled into center field, scoring first-year outfielder Sawyer Martin. Woolley knocked his second hit of the game into left field, bringing sophomore catcher Tommy Kanakos around to score the second run of the inning and bring the lead within one run.
Lycoming expanded their lead in the fourth inning, grounding out and hitting a single to score two runs from second and third after a hit-by-pitch and a single prior. Etown brought the lead back to one off a sacrifice fly by Woolley, bringing Kanakos around to score and give the Blue Jays a chance to take their first lead of the game. Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when Etown had one last chance to steal a win away from the Warriors. Woolley began the inning by knocking a single up the middle and junior utility Quinten Perilli moved Woolley over by hitting a sacrifice bunt. Woolwine added on by hitting a single into left field, moving Woolley to third, and placing the winning run on first base. First-year designated hitter AJ Lipscomb struck out, leaving Martin one final opportunity to win the game. Martin knocked the baseball into right-center field with the centerfielder giving chase, diving to secure the game for the Warriors, but as the ball landed in front of the outstretched glove and trickled further in the gap, Woolwine rounded third and reached home off the double, giving Etown a walk-off victory to cap the first game of the doubleheader. Woolley finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run. Junior pitcher Justin Marraccini picked up the win in the game after tossing 16 pitches with no hits and runs through 1.1 innings.
Perilli took the mound for Etown in game two, putting on a show for the fans, striking out six batters, tying his career-high, before being removed in the fourth inning. Sophomore pitcher Logan Burns took over for Perilli, continuing the game with no earned runs. Lycoming got on the board first in the top of the sixth inning after a double play went wrong, with the shortstop making an errant throw to first, taking a bad hop off the dirt and rolling to left field. The second baseman retrieved the ball and heaved it to second, tagging out the runner in an attempt to advance. Despite the conundrum, the Warriors were able to sneak two runs in to score in the process, both unearned. Etown came back in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs after Lipscomb singled into left field, bringing Woolley in from second base, and junior third baseman Alex McClain drawing a walk with the bases loaded, bringing Perilli home to score and tie the game at two. The Blue Jays continued their hot hitting into the seventh inning, increasing their lead to two runs after RBI singles by Perilli and Lipscomb. The no-hitter bid by Etown was cut short after Burns and Perilli tossed 7.2 innings hitless, despite the two runs in the sixth inning. First-year pitcher Cory Rible entered the game with two outs in the ninth and closed out the game for the Blue Jays, earning his sixth save of the season and giving Etown their second win of the day. Burns earned the win and Perilli finished the game hitting 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Etown rounded out their three-game series on Sunday, with the chance to sweep the series. The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the second after Fiorini singled a ball into left field, scoring Martin on the play to take an early lead. Both teams had good pitching performances with both teams holding onto the one-run lead until the sixth inning. Etown added two more in the sixth, with Woolwine scoring on a sacrifice fly and Kanakos capitalizing off a Fiorini double. Woolwine scored again off a single by Lipscomb in the seventh and Fiorini slapped a ball to right field, knocking his first home run of his career and expanding the lead to five. Lycoming added their first run of the game in the ninth. This effort wasn’t enough as Etown took home their third win of the weekend with a score of 5-1. Senior pitcher Kyle Mulville earned his second win of the season, allowing no runs and four hits while tossing eight strikeouts through seven innings and 111 pitches. Only a triple off the cycle, Fiorini went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run to end his day.
Etown now places third in the Landmark standings after their now four-game win streak, tied with Lycoming in their conference record, but holding the tiebreaker to stay ahead of the Warriors. The Blue Jays have a long road stretch ahead but will be back at home on April 26 and April 27 for the three-game series against Landmark opponent Drew University.
