FRONT ROYAL, VA – Penn State Schuylkill Baseball began its Spring Break road trip with a doubleheader against Christendom on March 7, making a stop in Virginia before continuing their journey to Myrtle Beach for the week. After dropping Game 1, the Lions bounced back in a high-scoring Game 2 to earn the split.
GAME 1: Christendom 6, Penn State Schuylkill 2
The Lions started the day with a tough loss in their first game of the spring trip, falling 6-2 to Christendom. Michael Kohler (0-1) took the loss on the mound, working three innings and allowing three earned runs before Aidan Barner came in for relief, holding the Crusaders to just one unearned run over his three innings of work.
Offensively, RayJay Marmolejos led the way with two hits and an RBI, while Conner Licklider brought in the other run with a sacrifice fly in the third. Roman Cieless added a double, and Andrew Klotz swiped a base to provide some pressure on the basepaths.
Christendom struck for three runs in the second inning and tacked on insurance throughout the game, recording 11 hits in total while their pitching staff limited Schuylkill to just three hits in the opener.
GAME 2: Penn State Schuylkill 12, Christendom 9
The Lions responded in a big way in Game 2, using a four-run first inning to jump out to an early lead before outlasting Christendom in an offensive battle.
The highlight of the game came from Kevin Rodriguez, who smashed a home run as part of Schuylkill's offensive explosion. Conner Licklider also delivered a key double, while Yostin Guerrero, Owen Zimmerman, and others contributed timely hits to keep the pressure on the Crusaders.
Aggressive baserunning played a key role, with Tristan Baer, Roman Cieless, Andrew Klotz, RayJay Marmolejos, and Zimmerman all swiping bases. The Lions forced Christendom into seven defensive errors, capitalizing on miscues to plate runs.
On the mound, Braden Collazo, Dylan Siwik, Roman Cieless, and Owen Zimmerman combined to navigate through seven innings, with Siwik earning the win and Zimmerman closing out the victory.
After an early back-and-forth, Schuylkill's offense proved too much, as they tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh to seal their first win of the spring break trip.
LOOKING AHEAD
With the first leg of their trip complete, Penn State Schuylkill continues their Spring Break slate on Saturday, March 9, at 4 PM when they take on New Jersey City University at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach. The Lions look to build on their Game 2 momentum as they gear up for a competitive week ahead.
