McKeesport, PA. – After winning three-straight and sweeping their Penn State University Athletic Conference opener over the weekend, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Baseball team (8-5, 3-0) is riding high as they head into a non-conference match-up with CCAC-Boyce (4-9, 1-1) on Tuesday. PSUGA used timely hitting coupled with good pitching to complete the season series sweep of conference rival PSU-Fayette over the weekend.
PSUGA capped off the weekend with a double header sweep of the roaring lions picking up wins of 6-4 and 7-4. In game one, four different PSUGA hitters picked up multi-hit games as they put up four of their six runs in the fourth and fifth innings to grab the crucial game one win. Brett Yuhas (Munhall, PA./Steel Valley) and Dlyan Ernst (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) led the offense each going 2-4 with Yuhas picking up two RBI while Ernst had one.
Yuhas’s big day would continue into the second game where he went 2-3 with two RBI. After Fayette jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the top of the third, Yuhas came up with a runner on and one out. He would hit his first collegiate home run, smoking a ball over the right field wall, and give PSUGA a 4-3 lead. PSUGA would never look back and allowed just one run the rest of the game on their way to a 7-4 win.
Yuhas has been the offensive leader for PSUGA over the last five games hitting .500 (8-16) with one home run and nine RBI during that stretch. Game two on Sunday was the best offensive game of his career and he has been a threat in the number three hole for PSUGA both getting on base and driving in runs for his team.
The bullpen has also been electric holding the opposition off the board and saving games for PSUGA. During the current three game winning streak, the bullpen has combined to go 1-0 throwing 10.1 giving up just one unearned run on seven hits while walking two and striking out six. Jordan Williams (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) picked up a win and two saves during the stretch closing out all three wins.
The hot streak broke a short three-game losing streak for PSUGA and has them sitting right atop the PSUAC West Division tied with rival PSU-DuBois. With a showdown between the two teams set for this weekend, PSUGA will be looking to continue to improve in non-conference before heading back into the heat of conference play.
Standing in their way is NJCAA opponent CCAC-Boyce as the two teams makeup their game from March 12th that was postponed due to field conditions. Boyce enters Tuesday’s game on a bit of a rough stretch having lost each of their last four games. They most recently got swept in a doubleheader against Potomac State on Sunday falling by scores of 5-2 and 9-2. Boyce fell behind early in game one 4-0 and was never able to bounce back. In game two, they jumped out to a 2-0 lead but a five run fourth inning by Potomac State would put an end to their lead.
The only previous match-up between these two teams came on March 24th 2015 when PSUGA picked up an 8-3 win. Former Lion Clay Groff went 1-3 with 2 RBI in the game while teammate Josh Arroyo went 1-2 driving in three runs.
First pitch for Tuesday’s game against CCAC-Boyce is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Monroeville, PA. It will be PSUGA’s second to last non-conference game of the season as they prepare for the heart of their PSUAC schedule.
