Posted: Apr 14, 2015
Indiana, Pa. - Despite big bats and large efforts, the Penn State Greater Allegheny baseball team dropped a pair of seven-inning, non-conference match-ups to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Tuesday afternoon, by narrow tallies of 8-7 and 6-4.
IUP managed to put up three runs in the bottom of the first inning, keeping Greater Allegheny scoreless until the top of the third inning in game one. Freshman center-fielder Terance Wroniak (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) singled up the middle before he reached an out at second base as sophomore left-fielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) reached first on an error by the third baseman. Junior third baseman Clay Groff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) walked to first base as senior shortstop Aaron McGee (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) doubled to right field, batting home Hollis for the first GA score of the day, 3-1 IUP.
Greater Allegheny came back up to bat eager in the top of the fourth. Senior right-fielder Gianmarco Concepcion (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Mercyhurst North East) walked to first base as senior designated hitter Matt Klena (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area) singled through the right side, before each of the runners advanced a base on a Wroniak ground-out. Hollis singled to the short stop to push both Klena and Concepcion to score, the score at a dead heat at three. Sophomore second baseman Adam Jacko (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) singled to center field before he and Hollis stole the next base. Groff walked to fill the bases as McGee singled up the middle, rushing Hollis and Jacko home. Senior catcher Troy Ambros (Pembroke Pines, Fla./West Broward) doubled to left field, batting both McGee and Groff home, leading to a IUP pitching change and giving Greater Allegheny the 7-3 advantage over the home team.
The game remained tight until the bottom of the fifth inning. Three straight hits saw a Greater Allegheny pitching change from senior right-handed pitcher Eddie Emes (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton) to right-hander McGee. Five total runs crossed home plate for the Crimson Hawks, putting them at a narrow lead 8-7 over the Lions.
Despite McGee getting on base in the top of the sixth alongside sophomore catcher Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) and Hollis in the top of the seventh, the Crimson Hawks held GA scoreless to finish game one in a 8-7 IUP edge-out.
McGee posted his first loss on the season, as he faced 11 batters through two innings of action, letting up just one hit and sitting down two batters on strike-outs. Emes saw 22 batters through four innings, sitting down five on strike-outs. Hollis finished game one going 3-for-4 from the batters box, as he posted two runs himself and one batted home. McGee batted 2-for-3, scoring once himself and pushing three others to tally runs as well. Eight GA Lion offense were left-on-base eight times through the seven inning game, achieving nine hits on 28 at bats.
GA came back with a score to even in the top of the first inning in game two. Groff was first up to bat, as he hammered a double to right-center field. McGee singled up the middle before Ambros reached first on an error by the second baseman, scoring Groff and putting Greater Allegheny ahead 1-0.
Greater Allegheny came back up to bat in the top of the third to notch another set of runs. Groff singled up the middle before McGee doubled to left field and Ambros walked to fill the bases Concepcion walked to first base, pushing Groff to tally the second run of game two. Hollis sacrifice flied out to right field, batting home McGee and finishing up the top of the third with a 3-0 lead over IUP.
The Crimson Hawks managed to even the score at three in the bottom of the third off of a pair of clobbered doubles, putting the second game in a three all stand-off. The fourth and fifth innings went silent on both sides of the fence before IUP came back to put another run on the board to push the match to a 4-3 IUP lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, Klena walked as Wroniak singled through the left side before Jacko grounded out for a sacrifice bunt to advance each of the runners. Groff singled to right field to score Klena, evening the score back up at four.
IUP put up two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and managed to shut-out Greater Allegheny in the top of the seventh inning despite one hit and three left-on-base. Freshman right-handed pitcher Luke Padezan (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) threw four innings, facing 18 batters as he sat down two on strike-outs. Ligeros dropped his first game on the mound, as he saw 15 batters through two innings of action.
Groff finished game two as he went 3-for-4 from the box, as he marked two runs himself while batting another home. Concepcion hit 2-of-3 as he earned one RBI alongside McGee, as he went 2-for-4 as he also marked a run himself. Ten runners were left-on-base for the Lions as nine hits were managed on 28 at bats.
Greater Allegheny (14-6, 4-0) are set to go on a road-trip with the softball team, Thursday afternoon, for a pair of double-headers over Penn State Worthington-Scranton. The Penn State University Athletic Conference baseball double-header is set for a first pitch at 11:00 a.m.
