State College baseball’s season ends with close loss to McDowell in subregional

State College’s 2019 baseball season has come to an end.

The District 6 champs faltered early Friday and couldn’t complete a rally in the 4-3 loss to Erie McDowell in a District 6/10 subregional game that determined who moved on to the first round of the PIAA Class 6A state tournament.

With the loss, the Little Lions’ season is over. McDowell, on the other hand, will play North Allegheny at 4 p.m. Monday at Erie’s Ainsworth Field in the first round of PIAAs.

Through five innings Friday at Bald Eagle Area’s field in Wingate, State College could muster only one hit and trailed 3-1. Erie had scored off a solo homer in the first frame and a two-out, two-RBI single in the third.

After another RBI in the top of the sixth, McDowell led 4-1. In the bottom of that same inning, State College rebounded with solo shots from both Tyson Cooper and Jake Cooper to cut the deficit to 4-3. But McDowell reliever Hunter Sorenson then came in and shut the door on any hopes at a comeback.

Sorenson allowed one hit and got the last four outs of the game.

State College ends its season with a 9-12 overall record.