Butler, PA. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny Baseball team (9-11, 4-5) fought all the way until the final out on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough as they fell to Bryant & Stratton College 17-6. It was two separate six run innings that put PSUGA behind and, despite scoring six runs in the last three innings, the mercy rule was enacted after the eighth inning and PSUGA fell for the third time in the last four games.
Bryant & Stratton got the scoring started with solo runs in the first and second to get out to a 2-0 lead, and followed that up with six in the top of the third including back-to-back two RBI doubles to push the lead to 8-0. Dylan Ernst (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) made his first collegiate appearance on the mound walking a batter and then forcing a fielder’s choice and a flyout to end the inning.
Ernst’s next at bat would come in the bottom of the fourth when he started the inning out with a single and a walk put runners on first and second with no outs. PSUGA was unable to capitalize and were held off the board until the bottom of the sixth. Jordan Williams (McKeesport, PA./Mckeesport HS) and Pedro Escobar (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) started the inning off with a single and a double to put two in scoring position for Ernst.
He would come through ripping an RBI double down the left field line scoring both runners. Diego Marzan (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy) would add an RBI single and the lead was cut to 8-3. However, the bobcats would push across three runs in the top of the seventh and put the game away with six more in the top of the eighth to put PSUGA behind 17-3 heading into their final at bats of the game.
PSUGA would not go down without a fight as Escobar doubled to start the inning and Ernst brought him home for his third RBI of the day bringing the score to 17-4. After a single by Brett Yuhas (Munhall, PA./Steel Valley HS) put two on, it was Marzan who would come through with a big two-RBI double for his second and third RBI of the game to bring the score to 17-6 with still nobody out. However, PSUGA was unable to bring anymore across as Bryant & Stratton retired the next three batters ending the game.
Ernst led the way for PSUGA in the loss going 3-4 with three RBI while throwing 1.2 scoreless innings of relief giving up one hit and walking three. Marzan added a 2-2 night at the plate with three RBI of his own. Alex Fudge (Donalsonville, GA./Seminolr County HS) finished the game out of the bullpen throwing four innings giving up nine runs, seven earned, on six hits while walking five and striking out three.
With PSUGA’s non-conference scheduled behind them, they turn their attention to the race for the number three seed in the Penn State University Athletic Conference West Division. With two series to go, they have to score series wins over both New Kensington and Beaver to guarantee their sixth trip to the playoffs in the last ten seasons.
PSUGA is back in action this Friday when they start their three game series with PSU-Beaver with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. The games will be played at No-offseason sports in Tarentum, PA.