ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. — In a thrilling doubleheader at Hawk's Nest, Penn State Berks split their first conference games against St. Mary's College of Maryland. The Nittany Lions took game 1 with a 15-11 victory, but fell short in game 2, losing 12-8.

Berks racked up 13 hits, including a home run, and capitalized on five errors by the opposition to keep the lead throughout game 1. The Nittany Lions kicked things off with two unearned runs in the first. Michael DeRichie reached on an error, and Andrew Seibert doubled down the left field line to bring him home. Colby Crills followed with a single, scoring Seibert and tying the game at 2-2 by the end of the inning.

In the fourth, Crills walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch and a groundout, and was brought home by a Michael Thalassinos single, giving the Blue & White a 3-2 edge. The lead stretched in the fifth with three more runs. Cade Baumgardner walked and scored on an error. Bryce Kelly's single allowed Seibert to cross home, and Carsen Brey's single brought Kelly in, making it 6-2.

Three more runs came in the sixth. Thalassinos walked and scored on a Baumgardner double. Baumgardner then scored after a stolen base and a Seibert sacrifice fly, followed by Kelly's RBI single, pushing the lead to 9-2. St. Mary's responded with four runs, narrowing the gap to 9-6.

Brey blasted an inside-the-park home run in the seventh, showing off his speed and adding another run for Berks, but St. Mary's replied with a run, bringing it to 10-7. In the eighth, Baumgardner doubled and scored on a Seibert single, stretching the margin to 11-7. The Nittany Lions sealed the deal in the ninth with a four-run burst. Brey singled and later scored on a DeRichie walk. Seibert tripled, clearing the bases and tacking on three more runs, extending the lead to 15-7. St. Mary's made a late push with four runs in their final at-bat, but Berks held strong for a 15-11 triumph.

Seibert drove in five runs with three hits, including a triple, and scored twice. Brey added three hits, two RBI, a home run, two runs, and a stolen base. Baumgardner collected two doubles, scored three times, and added an RBI. DeRichie crossed home three times, walked once, and swiped a base.

On the mound, Justin Hefner delivered a solid 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs, striking out one. He faced 24 batters with two walks and a hit batsman, notching nine groundouts for a 1.18 WHIP. Steven Sepko pitched 2/3 of an inning in relief, allowing one run on two hits with 12 strikes out of 20 pitches. Justin Fabbricatore contributed two innings, giving up one hit and two earned runs with three walks. John Mudri finished with a key inning, striking out three and securing the save despite three hits.

In game 2, Penn State Berks faced a tough outing, falling 12-8. St. Mary's set the pace early with two unearned runs in the first. Eli Shafer scored on a sacrifice fly, while Connor Wilkerson crossed home on a double, giving St. Mary's a 2-0 lead after one. Berks chipped away in the second when Colby Crills scored on Lucas Bacher's groundout, narrowing it to 2-1.

The third saw St. Mary's tack on two more unearned runs, stretching their lead to 4-1. The fourth inning proved pivotal, as St. Mary's erupted for six runs. Rhett Fletcher's triple brought in two, and Aaron Wathen scored on a wild pitch, pushing St. Mary's ahead 10-1.

Berks showed resilience in the fifth with three runs. Owen Grove scored on a bases-loaded walk, and errors allowed Andrew Seibert and Cade Baumgardner to cross the plate, closing the gap to 11-4. By the sixth, St. Mary's added another run on an error, holding a 12-4 lead.

In the ninth, the Blue & White staged a late surge. Seibert scored on a passed ball, and Bacher's double added two more. Michael Thalassinos scored on an error, but the comeback was just out of reach, sealing a 12-8 win for St. Mary's.

Seibert shone with three hits and two runs, driving the offensive efforts. Bryce Kelly chipped in with a hit, an RBI, and a run, demonstrating his knack for contributing at the plate. Bacher was a key presence with three RBIs, including a clutch double. Crills added a hit and crossed the plate twice, keeping opportunities alive.

Jacob Crisler took the mound as the starter for Berks, pitching 2 1/3 innings with two hits and no earned runs, despite issuing four walks. He faced 15 batters, striking out one. Jackson Brancato pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing one earned run on one walk. Logan McMaster struggled, giving up five runs on three hits and two walks in just 1/3 of an inning. Tyler Gilbert offered 2 2/3 innings of relief, yielding one earned run on three hits and three walks, fanning one. Amanjeet Turka closed with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk, inducing a key double play.

WHO'S NEXT
Berks will take on Albright College at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, in Reading, Pennsylvania.

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