Hampton, Va. - Through a hard-fought season, the Penn State Greater Allegheny baseball team ends their season at the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball National Championship against Apprentice in the semi-final match, 4-1, Saturday afternoon.
Despite a senior catcher Troy Ambros (Pembroke Pines, Fla./West Broward single through the left-side in the bottom of the first, Apprentice managed to get on the board first in the top of the second inning with a run scored off of a single, Apprentice 1-0.
The top of the fourth inning brought another pair of Apprentice runs after a double to left-center, 3-0 Builders.
Senior right-handed pitcher Aaron McGee (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) singled to second base before senior right-fielder Gianmarco Concepcion (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Mercyhurst North East) singled to the shortstop before he stole second in the bottom of the fourth.
The bottom of the fifth inning brought a sophomore designated hitter Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) singled to left-center before junior John Nusser (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) came in to pinch run and advanced to second after a failed pick-off attempt. Sophomore left-fielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) singled to center-field to bring home Nusser and notch what came to be the lone Greater Allegheny run of the day, 3-1 Apprentice.
Apprentice put up one more run in the top of the seventh as Christian Burton homered to left-field to score; Apprentice capping off the game at a 4-1 Greater Allegheny deficit.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Luke Padezan (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) threw three innings allowing just two runs. Through 15 batters faced, Padezan threw 60 pitches, 36 being strikes. McGee threw four innings in the contest, sitting down four on strike-out, as he hurled 43 strikes on 64 pitches.
Concepcion went 2-for-3 as McGee, Ambros, Del Rio, Hollis and sophomore first baseman Joshua Arroyo (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Levittown Baptist Academy) all hit 1-for-3. Hollis earned the RBI on Nusser's run to assist their Lions.
Greater Allegheny's season has come to a close as the men finished with an overall 32-7, 19-0 PSUAC. With a Penn State University Athletic Conference under their belt, the men reside in 3rd place overall in the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Assocaition National Championship - Small College World Series.
