Needing at least one win to extend its North Eastern Athletic Conference playoff berth chances, the Lancaster Bible baseball team ran into two very good pitchers as the Chargers managed just five hits over two games and were swept by Penn St. Berks in Reading, Pa. on Saturday. The losses all-but eliminate the Chargers from NEAC playoff contention as Penn College needs to win just one of its final four conference games to eliminate the Chargers. Lancaster Bible is now 10-17 overall and 4-8 in conference play.

In game one, the Chargers were shut down by Penn St. Berks' Sean Pavlik as he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before Erich Carroll broke it up with a one-out single. Despite the lack of hits, the Chargers actually tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth thanks to just about everything but a hit. Jimmy Eagan earned a one-out walk, which was followed by a JJ Sanchez walk, putting runners on first and second. Hunter Gray reached on an error by Pavlik which loaded the bases for Josh Mayer. 

Mayer hit a sacrifice fly which scored Eagan and advanced Sanchez to third. With Ryan Hartline batting, Pavlik threw a wild pitch which scored Sanchez and moved Gray to second. Pavlik recovered to strikeout Hartline, but the Chargers had tied the game without actually getting a hit.

The game stayed tied at 2-2 until the sixth when Kyle Hartman hit a solo home run to give the Nittany Lions a 3-2 lead. Lancaster Bible starter Zack Leonard pitched brilliantly as he went seven innings and allowed just five hits, while striking out seven. 

Penn St. Berks extended its lead to 5-2 in the eighth inning thanks to a Lancaster Bible error and the Nittany Lions shut the door in the ninth to improve to 6-5 in conference play.

In game one, Carroll had the aforementioned lone hit for the Chargers as Pavlik struck out nine Lancaster Bible batters.

Game two was another close affair as Penn St. Berks jumped out a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but the Chargers cut the lead in half in the third on a sacrifice fly by senior Caleb Mayer. The game remained 2-1 until the sixth when the Nittany Lions tacked on an insurance run to produce the final score of 3-1. 

Freshman Braden Elliott pitched well again for the Chargers as he went five innings and scattered nine hits, while striking out one. Sophomore Justin Taylor was 2-for-3 with a run scored in game two, while Hunter Gray and Ryan Hartline had the other Lancaster Bible hits.

The Chargers will play five times in the final week of the regular season as they will head to Frederick, Md. on Monday to take on Hood for a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Lancaster Bible will then host Cairn for a single nine-inning game on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and wrap-up the regular season next Saturday as the Chargers host Penn St. Abington at 1 p.m. for the final doubleheader of the season.