MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina - The Keystone Giants opened their 2026 season with a double-header; showing promise but dropping the first of eight match-ups this spring break. The Giants battled back late but couldn't overcome a big early inning, falling 11–3 to Penn State–Altoona on Sunday.
Keystone had an early opportunity in the first when Briana Aponte (El Paso, Tex.) reached on a fielding error, but Penn State–Altoona escaped with a strikeout and an inning-ending double play. The Giants again threatened in the second after Isabella Benitez (East Windsor, N.J.) singled, though another pair of strikeouts stranded the runner.
The game shifted in the bottom of the second when the Nittany Lions strung together six hits to plate six runs. A two-run double highlighted the rally before a two-run double and an RBI triple extended the lead to 6–0.
Penn State–Altoona added more in the third, using four hits to score four additional runs, including a bases-clearing triple that pushed the advantage to 10–0.
Despite the deficit, the Giants kept fighting. Keystone put together its best inning in the fifth. Bianca Markovitch (Scranton, Pa.) singled to start the rally and Shalimar Lopez Ramirez (Baltimore, Md.) reached on an error to bring the tying run to the plate. Aponte then delivered a clutch two-run double to center, scoring both runners. Later in the inning, Krista Cortazar (Throop, Pa.) added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 10–3.
Keystone threatened again earlier in the fourth when Cortazar singled and moved to second on a left-field error before Amaia Smith (Berlin, N.J.) followed with a base hit, but the rally ended with a double play.
Penn State–Altoona added one final run in the sixth on an inside-the-park home run to set the final score at 11–3.
Aponte led the Giants offensively with a double and two RBIs, while Cortazar and Markovitch each recorded hits in Keystone's late rally. Benitez and Lopez-Ramirez also contributed hits as the Giants collected several baserunners despite the early deficit. Keystone showed resilience down the stretch, breaking through with three runs in the fifth and continuing to pressure the defense, but the early scoring surge from Penn State–Altoona proved too much to overcome.
"We are young but we have a lot of talent that came in and have been working hard in order to get our program where we would like it," said head coach Mariah Ford.
This was clear as the Giants later took the field to battle cross-state opponent Thiel College. Unfortunately, that game was suspended due to lightning in the bottom of the fifth with one out and the Tomcats leading 11-8. Coach Ford laid out the situation, "First game was a little rocky - they had a lot of freshman nervousness, but they have been doing really well the second game so hopefully we can come back to win it."
The remaining two innings of the game versus Thiel will be fit in throughout the week as weather permits.
