Hampton, Va. - After a first-round bye, the Penn State Greater Allegheny baseball team overthrew University of Cincinnati-Clermont by a score of 11-8 in their first contest of the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball National Championship - Small College World Series.
Greater Allegheny got on the board in the bottom of the first inning as both junior third baseman Clay Groff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) and senior shortstop Aaron McGee (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) walked to fill the first two bases. Senior catcher Troy Ambros (Pembroke Pines, Fla./West Broward) doubled to left field to bat in Groff. Junior pinch runner John Nusser (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) came in to run for Ambros before senior center-fielder Gianmarco Concepcion (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Mercyhurst North East) reached first base on a fielder's choice. Sophomore first baseman Joshua Arroyo (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Levittown Baptist Academy) was hit-by-pitch to push McGee to score, GA 2-0. Sophomore left-fielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) was also hit-by-pitch to push Nusser home and to cap the scoring drive for the first inning, Greater Allegheny ahead 3-0.
A Jayson Schunk single through the left side pushed two runners across home-plate, closing the gap between the two teams 3-2 GA. Cincinnati-Clermont notched a pair of singles in the top of the third to push a runner to score, tying the game at three apiece.
The bottom of the third brought a Concepcion single down the left-field line before he stole second. Sophomore designated hitter Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) singled up the middle to bat in Concepcion, advancing their score 4-3 over UC-Clermont.
McGee came in to pitch in the top of the fourth to allow no runs to tie GA. The bottom of the fourth brought big bats for Greater Allegheny. Sophomore second baseman Adam Jacko (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) singled to right-field before advancing all the way to third on a ground-out and a wild pitch. Groff walked before McGee was hit-by-pitch. With an Ambros single, Jacko and Groff both scored before Ambros advanced second on a throwing error, 6-3. Arroyo walked as he pushed home McGee and Ambros, advancing Greater Allegheny 8-3 over their competition. Del Rio singled through the right center to bat in Arroyo, 9-3 Greater Allegheny.
Cincinnati-Clermont managed three runs in the bottom of the fourth to move closer to Greater Allegheny 9-6, as three hits were let up, including a two-run double.
Jacko opened the bottom of the fifth as he reached first on an error before Wroniak walked and Groff reached on a fielder's choice. McGee was hit-by-pitch yet again before Ambros walked to push Jacko to score. A new pitcher came in for Clermont as Concepcion reached on a fielder's choice as Groff scored, 11-6 Greater Allegheny.
Two strike-outs for McGee led to the bottom of the sixth with Greater Allegheny back-to-bat. GA filled the bases just to sit down the final three batters down on strike-out before Cincinnati-Clermont notched their final two runs on the day, moving the final score to 11-8 Greater Allegheny.
McGee earned his eight win on the mound, as he threw four innings facing 23 batters. He threw 96 pitches, 53 being strikes, sitting down four on strike-out. Ambros finished the game going 2-for-3 with four RBIs and one run scored as Del Rio went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Jacko hit 1-for-3 with two runs scored as Concepcion went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one run tallied.
With the win, Greater Allegheny advances to the next round in the winner's bracket to face Tennessee Temple, Thursday afternoon, at 4 p.m.
