BASEBALL
DUBOIS — Freshman outfielder Thayne Morgan (Clearfield) pinch-ran and stole a base in two of the three wins at Showers Field Sunday and Monday that made Penn State DuBois the 2018 Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference champion.
As West Division titlists, the Lions received a bye into the winner’s bracket semifinals, where they defeated Penn State Wilkes-Barre 6-3.
They then edged Penn State Brandywine 3-2 in the winner’s bracket final and repeated against the East Division kings in the championship game, 10-2.
In the finale Monday afternoon, Morgan scored on Clayton Butler’s home run for a 5-1 lead in the third inning.
Morgan has a .286 batting average on 14 hits, one a double, in 28 games, 10 of them as a starter.
He has driven in five runs and scored 16.
Sophomore pitcher Brandon Orsich (Clearfield) remains on the injury list, with only one brief outing since late March.
He owns a 2-0 record and 3.45 earned run average for 15-2/3 innings in five appearances, completing one of his five starts.
Orsich’s stats show 11 hits allowed, 10 strikeouts, four walks and four hit batsmen.
Penn State DuBois will be hosting the four-day United States Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, dubbed the Small College World Series, starting Monday at Showers Field.
The Lions (27-10) are seeded No. 6 and are paired against No. 3 Wright State University-Lake Campus at 6:30 p.m. in a quarterfinal that is one of six games on opening day.
First-round games will pit No. 8 Mississippi University for Women against No. 9 Florida National University at 8:30 a.m. and No. 7 College of St. Joseph’s Vermont against No. 10 Selma University at 11.
The other quarterfinals show No. 4 Bluefield (W.Va.) University against No. 5 Cleary University at 1:30 p.m., No. 1 University of Cincinnati-Clermont against the Mississippi University for Women-Florida National University winner at 4 and No. 2 The Apprentice (Va.) School against the College of St. Joseph’s-Selma University winner at 9.
Six games Tuesday and four games Wednesday will reduce the field to three teams for Thursday’s elimination bracket finale at 11 a.m. and championship game at 2:30. If another game is needed to determine the 2018 USCAA national champion, it will follow a short break.
Penn State DuBois was ranked fourth behind UC-Clermont, The Apprentice School and Bluefield State in the last USCAA Spring Coaches Poll.
DuBois also will be the site for the USCAA Softball Championships at the all-turf Heindl Memorial Field in City Park.
The schedule shows six games Monday and Tuesday and five games Wednesday at two-hour intervals starting at 10 a.m.
The title game is set for Thursday at noon. If another game is necessary, it will start at 2 p.m.
All teams are required to be on hand for a banquet Sunday at 1 p.m. at the DuBois Country Club that will be highlighted by an awards ceremony honoring the USCAA All-Americans and All-Academic players.
A Challenger Community Softball Game is booked for 4:45 on Rose & Dennis Heindl Memorial Field at 11 Parkway Drive.
The focus shifts to Showers Field for a Parade of Athletes at 5:30, a Softball Home Run Derby at 6:30 and a Baseball Home Run Derby at 7:30, followed by a fireworks display at 8:30.
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HUNTINGDON — Freshman catcher Zane Morgan (Clearfield) saw his rookie season for Juniata end prematurely because of a thumb injury that limited him to one pinch-running appearance in the last 18 games.
He had six hits, including one double and one triple, for a .286 batting average and drove in seven runs in 15 games, four of them starts behind the plate and one as the Eagles’ designated hitter.
Morgan drew one walk, was hit by a pitch on time and stole a base.
Juniata finished the disappointing season 11-26 with a 3-15 record in the Landmark Conference.
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MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
SLIPPERY ROCK — Freshman Ethan McGinnis (Clearfield) of Slippery Rock placed 14th in the triple jump at the 2018 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships in Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Saturday.
The better of his two efforts was 12.73 meters (41 feet, 9¼ inches).
The Rock wound up second among the 14 team with 143 points. Shippensburg won the title with 171 points.
McGinnis’ personal records were 13.15 meters (43-1½) in the triple jump, 6.22 meters (20-5) in the long jump and 23.97 seconds in the 200-meter dash.