Baseball Loses High Scoring Double-Header to Point Park (Pa.)
Pittsburgh, Pa- Runs were not at all at a premium this afternoon, as the Greater Allegheny baseball team dropped two high scoring affairs to Point Park (Pa.). GA lost game 1, 9-8 on a walk-off single, and then fell off late in game 2, losing 10-6.
GA got their bats going early in game 1, scoring 3 runs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore first baseman- and current PSUAC Player of the Week- Adam Wehr (Northwestern Lehigh, PA) doubled in senior Teddy Fricke (Carrick, PA) and freshman Oliver Girman (Serra Catholic, PA), netting the first two runs. Sophomore designated hitter Sam Weightman (Penn Trafford, PA) followed with a double of his own, driving in Wehr.
Point Park would counter in a big way in their half of the first beating up on freshman starting pitcher, Eddie Emes (New Brighton, PA). They would score five runs on four hits, aided by two Greater Allegheny errors.
GA would cut into the lead in the top of the second inning, whenTeddy Fricke doubled home Oliver Girman, who had reached base on a walk. Point Park now led 5-4.
Back up in the fourth, Greater Allegheny would re-take the lead. Freshman left fielder Zach Zeroski (West Allegheny, PA) led off the inning with a single, advanced to second when freshman Aaron McGee (Penn Trafford, PA) reached on an error, with both runners moving up on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore center fielder, Zak Schmidt (Moon, PA). With runners on second and third, Oliver Girman singled home Zeroksi, and advanced McGee to third. Teddy Fricke then drilled a double, scoring both McGee and Girman. For a brief stint, GA led 7-5.
Brief barely described the Greater Allegheny lead, as Point Park quickly struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back hits, later followed by a sacrifice fly, scored one runner. A third hit drove home the second, tying the score at 7-7. Point Park regained the lead in the sixth, getting a run across on a hit and GA throwing error.
After a scoreless sixth, GA came up for their last at-bats, down 8-7. Freshman first baseman Cole Quattrone (Elizabeth, PA) got on base with a pinch-hit single, and then scored to tie the game on a double by Oliver Girman. The GA pitchers could not prevent Point Park from scoring in the bottom of the seventh, however, and fell 9-8.
Aaron McGee (1-2) suffered the loss, giving up the game-winning run. Teddy Fricke led GA on offense, going 3-5 with 3 RBI's and a run. Oliver Girman also had 3 hits, going 3-4 with 2 RBI's and 3 runs scored. Adam Wehr and Sam Weightman both continued to swing hot bats, going a combined 4-7 with 3 RBI's.
Point Park got off to a great start in the early innings of game 2 against GA starter, freshman Matt Klena (Shaler, PA), getting three runs across after the first two innings. Greater Allegheny fired back with four runs in the top of the third, capped off by freshman shortstop Tyler Thellman's (Blackhawk, PA) 2-RBI single. A Sam Weightman double later in the inning scored the other two GA runs, giving them a 4-3 lead.
As in game 1, Point Park countered quickly, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third inning off Greater Allegheny pitcher, sophomore Brian Balagurchik (Notre Dame Academy, VA). A GA run in the top of the fourth then tied the game at 5-5.
Point Park fought back yet again, scoring four huge runs in the bottom fifth inning, pushing their lead to 9-5: one they would not relinquish again. GA both scored and gave up a run in the sixth, and went quietly in seventh, falling 10-6.
Oliver Girman (2-1) picked up the loss, giving up 4 runs (0 earned) on 3 hits, for his 1 inning of work. Zack Schmidt led GA with 2 hits, going 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Sam Weightman drove in 2 more runs in game 2, with Tyler Thellman doing the same.
With the double-header loss, Greater Allegheny falls to 7-9 overall. GA opens up PSUAC play in its return to the diamond, with a double-header on Saturday, March 24 against Penn State Brandywine. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 2 PM.