Greater Allegheny Baseball Captures Late Night Game Victory, 9-8

Butler, Pa. - After not being able to take the field until 10 p.m., the Penn State Greater Allegheny baseball team marked a 9-8 eight-inning contest win against Finger Lakes Community College, Saturday night, at Pullman Park.

Senior right-handed pitcher Matt Klena (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area) sat the first three batters down before the GA offense came to the plate. Senior shortstop Aaron McGee (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) singled to right field before senior third baseman Troy Ambros (Pembroke Pines, Fla./West Broward) singled to right center before stealing second. Senior center-fielder Gianmarco Concepcion (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Mercyhurst North East) walked to first base before sophomore first baseman Joshua Arroyo (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Levittown Baptist Academy) sacrifice flied out to right field, bringing in McGee to score. Ambros then scored on an error on the catcher, GA up 2-0.

Finger Lakes managed a hit in the top of the second before the blue and white came back out to the plate. Junior left-fielder Clay Groff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) walked to first as McGee singled to right center. Ambros singled up the middle as Groff added a tally. Concepcion bunt singled, filling the bases. Arroyo singled to center field, bringing in Ambros and McGee. Sophomore catcher Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) singled to right center, bringing home Concepcion and advancing Greater Allegheny over Finger Lakes 6-0.

Finger Lakes gained just one hit in the top of the third off Klena before Greater Allegheny came back to bat. Freshman right fielder Terance Wroniak (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) bunt singled before Groff walked to advance the runner. Finger Lakes saw a change in pitchers before Wroniak advanced to third on an error by the catcher. Groff stole second before Ambros reached on a fielders choice, scoring Wroniak. Ambros stole second as both Ambros and Groff advanced on a passed ball, Groff scoring. Concepcion singled to center field, batting in Ambros and marking Greater Allegheny ahead of the visiting team, 9-0.

Finger Lakes got on the board in the top of the fourth as a sacrifice fly brought in a walked batter, 9-1. Finger Lakes managed to drop another run in the top of the 6th inning to continue to creep back to GA. The next few innings went one-two-three until the top of the eighth. A walk, two singles and a Finger Lakes run led to a Greater Allegheny pitching change to move McGee to the mound.

A double and a single led to a three run push as Finger Lakes was now squaring up with GA at a 9-5 deficit. Finger Lakes gained the momentum to keep their team steam-rolling, notching two more runs off a walk and a fielders choice, eyeing up the score at a 9-8 Greater Allegheny narrow lead.

With the game getting such a late start, the teams ran out of time to continue, ending the contest at a 9-8 draw in Greater Allegheny's favor.

Ambros finished the game going 2-for-4 at the plate, nothing three runs himself with two runs batted in. McGee hit 2-for-4, adding two runs to the GA scorebook. Concepcion marked 2-for-3 from the batters box, notching a run and a run batted in. Wroniak managed to hit 2-of-4 from the plate, adding one run.

Eleven hits contributed to the Greater Allegheny triumph, as Klena faced 33 batters through seven innings. On 100 pitches, Klena threw 53 strikes, allowing just five hits with five strikeouts.

Greater Allegheny (6-4) is set to play another match with Finger Lakes Community College, Sunday morning. The first pitch of the scheduled nine inning game is set for 10 a.m. at Pullman Park.