The victory means Penn will play in the Regional Championship on Sunday night with an opportunity to advance to a Super Regional next weekend. The club will face either Samford or Southern Miss, depending on the outcome of their elimination game on Sunday afternoon.
Zaffiro was masterful for eight innings, surrendering just two runs on eight hits. He didn't issue a walk and whiffed eight.
Ben Miller and Wyatt Henseler led the Quakers at the plate, finishing with two hits each. Miller delivered an RBI single in the opening frame to put Penn ahead, while Henseler ripped a double in the fifth to extend the Quakers' lead to 4-0. Miller followed in the fifth with a single to score Henseler later in the frame, pushing the advantage to 5-0.
Samford pieced together a late rally, scoring two runs in the eighth and another pair in the ninth, but David Shoemaker was able to limit the damage to keep Penn ahead.
The final out of the contest involved pinch-runner Aaron Walton attempting to scamper home from third base on an errant throw to first base by Penn second baseman Ryan Taylor. Miller saw Walton rounding third and threw behind him, forcing a close tag play that resulted in the final out of the contest.
With the victory, Penn is the first Ivy League program to win its first two games at a regional since the NCAA went to a 16-four-team regional format in 1999.
The victory also gave the Quakers their 34th win, breaking the program record the team set last year of 33.
