Butler, PA. – It was a slow day for the Penn State Greater Allegheny Baseball team’s (5-3, 0-0) offense as they collected just three hits in a 7-0 loss to Grove City (8-5, 1-1) on Friday at Pullman Park. PSUGA fell behind early after allowing five runs in the first inning and could never find their groove to get back in the game.
Grove City got things going from the first pitch of the ball game when leadoff hitter Colton Lineman lifted a solo shot over the left field wall to get the Wolverines out to a 1-0 lead. Grove City would end up sending nine batters to the plate during that inning and three RBI doubles would be part of the five-run top of the first that gave Grove City the advantage. PSUGA would get a runner on in the bottom of the first when Brett Yuhas (Munhall, PA./Steel Valley HS) got on with a two-out walk, but he was stranded and the deficit remained 5-0.
Junior Matt Smith (North Versailles, PA./East Allegheny HS), who was making his third start of the season for PSUGA, would settle in after that allowing just six hits and only two more runs the rest of the ball game. He finished the day tossing six innings giving up seven runs, two earned, on 11 hits while striking out three and picking up his first loss of the 2019 season.
PSUGA would get their first hit of the game in the bottom of the second when Dylan Ernst (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) reached on a leadoff single, but that is all they would get as they were once again retired. Freshman Jordan Williams (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) would give PSUGA their first runner in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth with a double to right field, but he would also be stranded ending the threat.
Junior Bert Hinton (Richmond, VA./Benedictine College Prep) would be called on to pitch the final three innings and he was lights out allowing just three hits in his three innings of work walking one and striking out one. It was Hinton’s first scoreless outing of the season and gave him some confidence moving forward.
Ernst and Williams led the offense going 1-3 each while junior Randy Berroa (Harlem, NY./Norman Thomas HS) added a 1-4 day in the loss. With conference play looming next week, PSUGA will look to get back on track with just two more non-conference games before the start of Penn State University Athletic Conference play next week.
The PSUGA Baseball team will be back in action on Sunday when they play a doubleheader against Wilson College. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. followed by the second game of the doubleheader at 3 p.m.