by Casey Burinskas

HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Penn State Altoona baseball team saw its 2026 season come to a conclusion on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions were swept in a doubleheader by Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Hilbert College at the FSSJ Complex.

Entering the day with hopes of locking up a spot in the upcoming AMCC Tournament, Penn State Altoona (17-20, 7-10 AMCC) fell short in both games of the doubleheader, as Hilbert (22-15, 10-7 AMCC) prevailed by scores of 9-5 and 10-5.

With the day's results around the league in the books, Hilbert clinches the No. 2 seed in the AMCC postseason while Penn State Altoona just misses the six-team playoff field.

Game One: Hilbert 9, Penn State Altoona 5

Penn State Altoona couldn't overcome a string of unearned runs and a big middle-inning push by Hilbert, as the Lions dropped a 9-5 decision.

Jonathan Rauch (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) went 2-for-3 with his 13th home run of the season, two runs scored, one RBI, and a walk. Owen Dombrosky (Hollidaysburg, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) was also 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Zach Ingold (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run.

Andrew Crouse (Mercersburg, PA/James Buchanan) started game one on the mound and took the loss, going four innings and surrendering three earned runs while striking out two batters. Sean Wing (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) tossed two innings out of the bullpen, yielding a pair of earned runs and recording two strikeouts.

Hilbert jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, capitalizing on a Penn State Altoona error in the first inning that allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate.

The Lions answered in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a couple of defensive miscues by the Hawks to even the score. Altoona got on the board when Ingold doubled to right center, leading to an outfield error that allowed Dombrosky to score. After another Hilbert error, Cole Strick (Windber, PA/Windber) brought Ingold home on a fielder's choice to knot the game at 2-2.

The Lions took their first lead in the third inning when Rauch launched a solo home run to right field, putting Penn State Altoona ahead 3-2. But Hilbert responded immediately, using a two-run double from David Earsing and an RBI single from Joey Haynes to surge back in front, 5-3, in the bottom half of the third.

Hilbert continued to build its lead in the fourth, when Haynes drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home another unearned run and make it 6-3.

Penn State Altoona cut into the deficit in the fifth inning, as Dombrosky drove in a run on a fielder's choice to make it 6-4. However, Hilbert answered once again in the bottom half, with Shane Pray's RBI double extending the lead to 7-4.

The Hawks added two more runs in the sixth inning. An RBI double by Haynes pushed the margin to 8-4, and a stolen base followed by a throwing error allowed another unearned run to score, stretching the lead to 9-4.

The Lions showed some late life in the seventh, when Ingold singled to drive in Rauch, but Penn State Altoona was unable to generate a larger rally.

Despite grabbing an early lead, Penn State Altoona was undone by defensive miscues that led to multiple unearned runs, while Hilbert consistently answered each Lions push to maintain control of the first game.

Game Two: Hilbert 10, Penn State Altoona 5

Penn State Altoona battled back from an early 4-0 deficit, grabbing a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning and briefly taking control of the game. But Hilbert used a big seventh inning to pull away for a 10-5 win in game two of the doubleheader.

Strick finished 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored, and Rauch had a double, two RBI, and a walk. Judd Dasso (Brentwood, TN/Brentwood) also had a double with two runs scored, and Brian Chelli (West Hartford, CT/Hall) had a hit, two runs, and an RBI.

Aidan Donovan (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) and Jarek Szaflarski (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle-Antrim) also had one hit apiece for the Lions.

Ryan Schellhase (Fayetteville, PA/Chambersburg) made the game-two start at pitcher and was saddled with the loss, going six innings, allowing six earned runs, and striking out two. Daniel Ditterline (Collegeville, PA/Spring-Ford) tossed one inning in relief with no earned runs allowed, and Michael Labisi (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) worked a scoreless inning.

Hilbert staked out an early lead, getting three runs across in the bottom of the first. Reed Lesmeister's RBI single and Pray's sacrifice fly scored a pair for the Hawks, and Lesmeister later stole home to make it 3-0. In the second, Patrick Evans' RBI single increased Hilbert's advantage to 4-0.

The Lions got on the board in the third inning when Strick scored after Chelli reached on an error, cutting into the deficit. Later in the inning, Rauch delivered the biggest hit of the game for Altoona, ripping a two-run double to left center that brought home Chelli and Dasso to make it a one-run game.

Altoona completed the comeback in the fifth inning. Chelli came through with an RBI single and aggressive baserunning, driving in Dasso with his base hit. Chelli came all the way around on the play, eventually crossing the plate following a Hilbert error to give the Lions a 5-4 lead.

Altoona held its 5-4 advantage until the bottom of the seventh, when Hilbert broke through for six runs to power ahead. Pray was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game, and Harley Hoag's RBI single and an Altoona outfield error helped Hilbert move ahead, 7-5. Another Lions error led to the Hawks scoring a run to make it 8-5, and two more Hilbert runs came across later in the inning to put the home team up 10-5.

The Lions were unable to make any noise over the rest of the game, as Hilbert's final runs in the seventh ultimately sealed a season-ending loss for Altoona.