Inaugural Military Games Successful, Right Off the Bat

Published 04.25.2018

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First baseman Colton Riley, an automotive technology student from Danville, sports the uniform worn for Tuesday's commemoration. Riley was 2-for-6 on the day, with two runs batted in.Teams and umpires honor America – and its servicemen and women – during "The Star-Spangled Banner."Bats were hot, with 19 Wildcat hits in the back-to-back wins.The ritual tossing of the first pitch in the nightcap signals time to "Play ball!"Second baseman Deric S. Ellerman, a residential construction technology and management major from Landisville, turns the double play.Tuesday's Military Appreciation Night, organized by the Wildcat baseball team and Penn College's Student Athlete Advisory Committee, movingly paid tribute ... and delivered a doubleheader sweep of Mansfield University for the first time in program history. "When we organized the event, we wanted it to be about the veterans and active military members within our community. We just wanted a chance to give back, and I’m proud of the way that the players and fans represented the college in supporting our military members," said pitcher Maxwell G. Bair, an applied management major from Centre Hall. "The Penn College community is one of the many reasons I love this school, and I’m very proud of the showing of support we had for the event. It is our goal to make the event an annual occurrence for many years to come." The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Joseph M. Dreese – an Army veteran and member of the soccer team, graduating next month with a bachelor's degree in information assurance and cyber security – and the national anthem was sung by softball player Alyssa G. Gentile, of Fairport, New York, a pre-applied health studies: radiography concentration, who was chosen as 2018’s “Penn College Star." Penn College bested Mansfield in the nonconference matchup at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, 5-2 and 11-6.