Tyler Jackson got the win in the game that sent the Penn State Harrisburg baseball game to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Tournament for just the second time in school history, then picked up the save in the national opener.
Those wound up being the last two wins of the season for Penn State Harrisburg (29-9).
Penn State Harrisburg clinched the national appearance by sweeping a May 16 Pennsylvania State Universities Athletic Conference championship doubleheader.
Jackson, a Pittston Area graduate, worked in the ninth inning of both games in the sweep and appeared in 8 of the team’s last 10 games.
The junior right-hander left with two out in the ninth after pitching 2 2/3 innings of the 13-4 win in the opener. He struck out one and did not walk a batter, but gave up two runs on three hits, one of which was a home run.
When Jackson held Penn State Abington scoreless on a hit and a walk in the top of the ninth inning of the second game, it put Penn State Harrisburg in position to pull out a 6-5 victory with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Jackson finished second on the team in wins with six and posted two of the team’s three saves.
The 20 appearances by Jackson, who made just one start, were 8 more than anyone else on the staff. He went 6-2 with a 4.12 earned run average, allowing 39 hits and just 9 walks while striking out 24 in 39 1/3 innings.
Penn State Harrisburg opened the Wisconsin-Whitewater Regional with a 6-4 win over Texas Lutheran when Jackson finished up with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. It then lost two straight and was eliminated.
