Baseball Advances Following 6-1 Win Over St. Joe's (Bkyln)

BUTLER, Pa- In a must-win situation in their second game of the USCAA Small College World Series, the Greater Allegheny (30-16) baseball team used an eight-strikeout, two-hit performance from junior right-hander Evan James (Harrison City, PA/Western Oklahoma State) to defeat the eight seed St. Joseph's (Bklyn) 6-1.

GA got the offense rolling right away, as freshman outfielder Alente Johnson (Rochester, PA/Rochester) reached after getting hit by the 2-0 pitch.  A sacrifice bunt and groundout pushed Johnson over to third, which allowed him to score on the RBI single from sophomore designated hitter Oliver Girman (Monroeville, PA/Serra Catholic).  St. Joe's then answered with an unearned run off James in the second, tying the game at 1-1. 

Back up in the bottom of the second, senior second baseman Jason Paris (Houston, PA/Chartiers Houston) earned a lead-off walk, and then advanced to second on a single by sophomore catcher Clay Groff (Pittsburgh, PA/Allderdice).  With Paris moved over to third on a fielding error, freshman shortstop Tom Williams' (Penn-Trafford, PA/Penn-Trafford) sacrifice fly allowed the fifth seed to regain a 2-1 lead.

After allowing the St. Joe's run, James metaphysically carved his way through the next three innings, retiring eight straight at one point. Sophomore outfielder Zach Zeroski (Imperial, PA/West Allegheny) led off the Greater Allegheny fifth with a walk, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior outfielder Mike Visloski (McDonald, PA/West Allegheny).  After an intentional walk to Girman, junior first baseman Sam Weightman (Harrison City, PA/Penn-Trafford) stepped up and belted a 2-RBI double deep to right field.  Paris followed with an RBI single of his own, giving GA the 5-1 cushion.  Junior third baseman Adam Wehr (Orefield, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) then capped the scoring with a long, RBI single to left.

James (7-2) finished off the eighth seed with back-to-back strikeouts in the seventh, sealing the 6-1 victory.  The righty finished the day with eight punch-outs, while allowing just the unearned run on two St. Joe's hits.  Weightman led GA with two RBI's on his fifth inning double, with Girman, Paris and Wehr collecting an RBI each. 

The fifth-seeded Greater Allegheny Lions will take on the number nine seed Briarcliffe (NY) at 6:30 PM later this evening.