MERCER COUNTY, NJ - The Highlanders traveled to their temporary home field at Mercer County College, NJ, to face the Keystone Giants in their first matchup since the 2019 season.
 
GAME ONE: Senior pitcher #21 Carson Conradt started the game off strong for the Highlanders with two strikeouts, leading the team through two scoreless innings. Cairn grabbed an early lead in the second inning when senior Brian Amantia Jr. knocked a double into right field and worked his way around to score on a defensive error. After a rocky third inning, the Highlanders trailed the Giants just 3-1 before a few quiet innings for both teams. After the Giants grabbed a few more runs, sophomore #33 Sam Spadea smacked a double into left field to start a rally, followed by Amantia Jr. smashing a monster home run into right field to close the gap to a 5-3 Keystone lead.

Sophomore pitcher #35 Jacob Kraihanzel and senior pitcher Ben Spadea came in for the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, and let up a combined nine runs. The Highlander bats fell silent until junior Joshua Melchior fired up the Cairn batters with a single, followed by a walk by senior Trey Valiton to set up a 2 RBI triple for senior Caleb Edman to battle back to a 14-6 run gap. Sophomore pitcher Benjamin Richardson closed out the game, allowing just one run in the ninth, but the Highlanders were unable to rally and the game ended at 15-6 in Keystone's favor. 

Amantia led the Highlanders at the plate in Game One, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs coming from his first home run of the season.
 
GAME TWO: Senior pitcher #32 Nat Ross opened the second game against the Giants, throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Despite a double from Sam Spadea in the second inning, the Highlanders were unable to make consistent contact and ended the first two innings with no runs scored. In the third inning, the Giants took advantage of a few Highlander errors to notch six runs, before Ross could close out the inning with two back-to-back strikeouts. Junior Dom Maglione took the mound in the fourth and held the Giants, allowing no runs and striking out two batters over five innings.

Caleb Edman made another strong plate appearance in the fourth inning, smacking a ball clean over the left field fence to put the Highlanders on the board. Despite the boost from Edman and a single from Josh Melchior, the Highlanders struggled at the plate and were unable to bring in any additional runs. Freshman pitcher Connor Ferguson took over to close out the game, allowing only one hit and keeping the Giants from increasing their lead. Despite an exciting start to the bottom of the ninth, with sophomore Joe Greenwood getting on base with a sharp single to right field, the Highlanders couldn't make their way around the diamond and ultimately dropped the second game 6-1, Keystone.

Although the Highlanders' offense in Game Two was relatively quiet, Cairn did get contributions from Melchior, who went 2-4. The lone Cairn RBI came courtesy of Edman's solo shot in the fourth.
 
The Highlanders hit the road next week to travel out to Clarks Summit to face the Defenders for the first time since their Spring Break tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC. Cairn went 2-1 in their nonconference games against Clarks Summit in March, and will look to extend that winning record next week!