LANDCASTER, PA – In a back-and-forth affair, No. 2 seed Elizabethtown College outlasted No. 1 seed Wilkes University in an elimination game on the second day of the 2025 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament Saturday afternoon from Penn Medicine Park.
 
Wilkes moved to 28-12 overall following the defeat while Elizabethtown improved to 29-12 on the year and advanced to play No. 3 seed the University of Scranton later on Saturday in another elimination game.
 
After a scoreless first two innings, Wilkes plated the first runs using four hits to take a 4-0 lead after three. With one out, Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) began the rally with a single through the right side. After Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) walked put runners at first and second, Jacob Mathis drew a free pass to load the passes with still one out. Luke Spencer (Lehman, PA/Lake Lehman) came through with a clutch two-run single to right center field to give the Colonels a 2-0 advantage. Spencer then stole second and advanced to third plating Mathis on the Elizabethtown throwing miscue to push the lead to 3-0. Andrew Crus then singled home Spencer two batters later to finish the four-run frame.
 
Elizabethtown responded in the top of the fifth inning tying the game at four with three runs coming off the bat of Quinten Perilli after a sacrifice fly plated the first run of the frame. Perilli's three-run home run to right field also set the Landmark Conference career mark of 30 for the junior.
 
The Colonels bats answered back in the bottom of the sixth inning as Wilkes took its second lead of the afternoon scoring two runs on two hits to take a 6-4 advantage. After back-to-back walks to begin the frame, Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) singled to load the bases with no outs setting up Gavin Lacoe's (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) RBI single to right field as Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) crossed the plate. Next batter Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) connected on a deep fly ball to centerfield earning the sacrifice fly and another run for the Colonels as they took a two-run lead into the final three innings.
 
The teams continued to answer each other with runs as Elizabethtown scored three in the top of the seventh to take its first lead of the game at 7-6. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out before Perilli added his fourth RBI of the game with a single to right followed by a fielder's choice RBI that tied the game at six. Another Blue Jay single gave the home-town team the lead finishing off the four-hit, three run frame.
 
Elizabethtown added one more insurance run in the top of the ninth before shutting down the Colonels bats over the final nine outs to preserve the win and advance in the tournament.

Spencer led all Wilkes hitters at the plate finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Hunter Lawall (West Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) started and went 5.0 innings allowing four hits and four earned runs while striking out six batters, including the 100th strikeout of his career. Ethan Grodack (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) recorded the loss going 1.1 innings allowing four hits and three earned runs.
 
Wilkes will now await word on a potential at-large bid into the NCAA Championships. Regionals will be announced Monday afternoon.