ST. MARY'S CITY, MD – Ryan McCarty drove in eight runs, including a school-record seven in the nightcap, as Penn State Abington completed a three-game series sweep of host St. Mary's College of Maryland by taking two United East Conference games on Saturday. The Nittany Lions pulled out a 3-2 squeaker in the opener before the bats came alive for a 24-7 triumph in the nightcap.
Penn State Abington has won four straight to improve to 12-7 overall and 3-3 in the conference. The Seahawks dropped to 5-7, 1-5.
In the opener, the Nittany Lions got a complete-game performance from Jaden Himmelreich as the senior did not allow an earned run and gave up just five hits over the seven innings. He walked two and fanned three.
Himmelreich was handed a 2-0 lead after Christian Reyes delivered a two-run single in the top of the first. St. Mary's evened it up in the third with two unearned runs, but McCarty helped Penn State Abington regain the advantage in the fifth as his triple plated Chase Swain with what turned out to be the game-winning run. McCarty was 2-for-2 in the game.
Himmelreich took care of the rest and got some good defense down the stretch as a runner was thrown out at the plate in the sixth and a double play took care of a threat in the seventh.
In the second game, Penn State Abington scored seven in the opening inning and kept adding to it all contest. In fact, the Nittany Lions scored in each of the first eight innings. Leading the way was McCarty as the senior set yet another school mark with his seven RBIs on a 3-for-4 effort. The last three RBIs came on McCarty's 10th home run of the season. He entered the week tied for first in all of Division III in round-trippers and added two more in a 9-for-15, 11-RBI week.
Anthony Bencardino had two hits and four RBIs while Himmelreich, Swain and Josh Baar drove in two apiece. Lou Rossner tied a school record by scoring five runs. Bill Trimble pitched six innings and earned the win.
Penn State Abington will travel to The College of New Jersey for a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 29.