Butler, Pa- On an evening in which the host school mustered just three hits, the fifth-seeded Greater Allegheny (29-16) baseball team fell 4-0 to the four seed Selma (AL) in their opening round game of the USCAA Small College World Series.
Freshman outfielder Alente Johnson (Rochester, PA/Rochester) led-off the game with an infield single, and would later advance to second on a wild pitch. Two strikeouts and a groundout quickly derailed the threat, as GA failed to capitalize on the early chance.
In the Selma second, three straight hits off Greater Allegheny lefty, freshman Zach Krivda (McKeesport, PA-/McKeesport), led to the game's first run. A groundout to third then plated a second runner, giving the fourth seed an early 2-0 advantage.
Through the third and fourth innings, the tournament host achieved only a lone base runner, with Selma increasing their lead to 3-0 following an RBI single in the home half of the fourth. Krivda then shutout the home team in the fifth, while recording his fifth strikeout in the game.
Needing to score with time running out, Greater Allegheny loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth. Sophomore outfielder Zach Zeroski (Imperial, PA/West Allegheny) walked, advanced to second on a single to center from senior outfielder Mike Visloski (McDonald, PA/West Allegheny), with sophomore designated hitter Oliver Girman's (Monroeville, PA/Serra Catholic) infield hit filling the basepaths. Junior Sam Weightman (Harrison City, PA/Penn-Trafford) stepped up to pinch-hit, but struck out on a high fastball to end the inning.
An RBI single in the Selma sixth pushed their lead to 4-0, as a one-two-three GA seventh ended the game. Krivda (6-1) allowed the four runs on nine hits through six innings of work. He struck out six and did not issue a single walk. Johnson, Visloski and Girman had a hit each for Greater Allegheny, while Zeroski and senior second baseman Jason Paris (Houston, PA/Chartiers Houston) drew walks.
GA will now face the eight seed from St. Joseph's (Bkyn) at 11 AM tomorrow morning.
