Penn State Schuylkill Edges Illinois Valley CC in Myrtle Beach Showdown, 2-1

Myrtle Beach, SC – Penn State Schuylkill baseball secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Illinois Valley Community College on Tuesday at the Grand Park Athletic Complex. A strong pitching performance by Aidan Barner and a clutch save from Owen Zimmerman helped the Lions hold on for the win in their spring break trip.

After two scoreless innings, Schuylkill broke through in the bottom of the third. Andrew Klotz led off the inning and later came around to score on an RBI single from Conner Licklider, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, Brandon Pupek crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by Roman Cieless, extending the advantage to 2-0.

Barner (1-0) was dominant on the mound, going 6.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out eight. He worked efficiently through the Illinois Valley lineup before turning the ball over to Zimmerman, who recorded the final two outs to notch the save.

Illinois Valley's lone run came in the top of the seventh when Brady Romagnoli singled and eventually scored on a groundout by Matthew Reksnis, but Schuylkill's defense held firm to close out the game.

At the plate, Owen Zimmerman led Schuylkill with a 2-for-2 performance, while Licklider and Cieless each tallied an RBI. The Lions also showcased aggressive baserunning, with stolen bases from Roman Cieless and Andrew Klotz.

Illinois Valley's Payton Harwood took the loss despite a strong five-inning performance, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out three.

Up Next:

Penn State Schuylkill continues its Myrtle Beach trip with a two more games on Wednesday with games at 6 PM and 9 PM.