Knights fire on all cylinders on Senior Night

By Bret Saveleski

Knightly News Reporter

bret.saveleski@mymail.centralpenn.edu

Photos by Noah Lopez

Knightly News Reporter

Noah.lopez@mymail.centralpenn.edu

The Central Penn College Knights won both games of a doubleheader last Wednesday night against Williamson Trade to secure a 4-0 season record against the conference rival. The Knights took Game 1 by a score of 14-4 and Game 2 by a score of 11-2.

Before the game, senior Knights Colby Criswell, Owen Zell, Colten Zerby and Brady Park were honored to celebrate their tenure with Central Penn baseball. Along with their parents in an on-field celebration, the group received standing ovations from the crowd for their tireless efforts over the last several seasons.

Game 1

To honor his seniors, coach Charles Stevens gave the ball to Zerby to start the contest, grabbing two quick outs to start the game. But Cody Grande doubled and was driven in on a Jacob Naumann single, giving Williamson Trade an early 1-0 lead.

Central Penn answered back quickly with a David Thomas RBI single. Thomas then stole both second and third to get into scoring position for the cleanup man Nic Joseph. Joseph reached on an error that scored Thomas to give the Knights their first lead, 2-1.

Williamson Trade would not be down for long, however, and they tied the game up in the top of the next frame on a Patrick Jones single that scored Michael Ashton.

The bottom of the second saw the Knights once again knocking on the door after back-to-back walks by Kyle Brent and Terrell Smith-Cole. Owen Zell then singled to load the bases before Tanner Boyd reached on an error that scored two runs, putting the Knights back on top, 4-2.

After a scoreless third, Zell reached on an error in the fourth and got himself into scoring position with a steal of second. Thomas then found some grass in the outfield to make the score 5-2 going into the fifth.

It was all Knights from there. The bottom of the fifth saw four more runs score thanks to some sloppy defense, leading to two runs. Then, Zell smashed a two-run single, making the score 9-2.

On the mound, the story of the game for the Knights was Zerby. Even after allowing a run in the first inning, Zerby settled in from there, allowing only two more runs in the contest. For Zerby to have such a strong contest on Senior Night is a testament to his drive and determination, one of the reasons he is a leader on this team.

The game ended early in the sixth due to the Knights scoring five more runs to enact the 10-run mercy rule. The damage was done by five walks and two hits, including an RBI single from Zell and a walk-off walk from Thomas to clinch the game for the Knights.

Zell was the Weis Knightly News Player of the Game in the first contest, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, a steal and a run. Thomas was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, a run and a steal, while Kyle Brent was 1-for-2 with three runs scored.

Game 2

In the second game of the doubleheader, Coach Stevens started his other senior pitcher, Criswell, in this key game under the lights at FNB Field.

The home team got the scoring started in the first. Zell led the inning off with a single and promptly took second on a wild pitch. Boyd moved him over on a groundout and Thomas knocked him in on a single.

Over the first two innings, Criswell was dealing, allowing only two hits and keeping the base paths relatively clear. In only his second start of the year, fans could quickly see how important this game was to Criswell on his Senior Night.

In the top of the third inning, Williamson Trade answered back, thanks to two singles and a wild pitch that scored Jacob Illing. Still, with two runners on base, Criswell was able to strike out Michael Krakrovitz to end the threat.

The Knights were able to pick up Criswell after the emotional strikeout, with Terrell Smith-Cole leading off the inning with a single, then taking second on a wild pitch. Zell moved him over on a groundout and a passed ball allowed Smith-Cole to score. An error and another passed ball allowed two more runs to score which put the Knights in front, 4-1.

The scoring would not stop there. Central Penn put up another run in the fourth on a Jacob Baltimore RBI single, and three more in the fifth thanks to a two-run single from Smith-Cole and an RBI walk from Boyd.

Criswell continued to cruise through five innings, allowing only four hits and two runs while striking out two.

Williamson Trade did not give up, though, as a Daniel Gross single gave the visiting squad their final run in the sixth. But it was all Knights from there, as Jordan Spadafore and Darwin Cruz each pitched a scoreless inning in relief and the offense scored three more in the bottom of the sixth to reach the final score of 11-2.

The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game was Criswell, turning in his best outing of the season on the team’s biggest stage. Not only was this most likely Criswell’s final home start, it was the only game of the season under the lights for Central Penn.

This contest saw the youth of the Knights baseball program emerging as difference makers for Central Penn. Freshman Sam Royer went 3-for-3 with two runs and Smith-Cole was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Tanner McCoy was 2-for-4 with a run and a steal.

With the pair of victories, the Knights improved to 18-8 on the season, boasting an 8-1 home record and an 11-0 ESAC conference mark.