Greater Allegheny Baseball Advances to USCAA Semi-Finals After 4-1 Win Over Tennesee Temple

Hampton, Va. - After a triumphant 4-1 victory over Tennesee Temple, the Penn State Greater Allegheny baseball team moves on to the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball Small College World Series semi-finals over Illinois Tech.

The bottom of the second began Greater Allegheny's scoring drive. Sophomore first baseman Joshua Arroyo (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Levittown Baptist Academy) singled to right field before sophomore designated hitter Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) singled through the left side. Sophomore second baseman Adam Jacko (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) singled through the right side to load the bases. Freshman center-fielder Terance Wroniak (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) singled to right field to bat in Arroyo and post the first run of the game, GA up 1-0.

Tennessee Temple sat down one-two-three before the Lions came back to bat in the bottom of the third. Senior shortstop Aaron McGee (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) walked to first base before he advanced to third on a stolen base and a ground-out. Arroyo singled to right center to bat home McGee, GA 2-0.

The top of the fifth inning brought a Tennessee Temple triple and a single to cut their deficit in half 2-1. 

Greater Allegheny came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning to start of with a Del Rio single to center-field before junior John Nusser (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) came in to pinch run. Sophomore right-fielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) singled through the left side before Jacko singled up the middle, filling the bases. Wroniak reached first on an error as Nusser scored Greater Allegheny's third run. Junior third baseman Clay Groff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) reached on a fielder's choice as McGee sacrifice flied out to right-field, batting home Jacko and putting up GA's fourth and final run on the day.

With the 4-1 win, Greater Allegheny (32-7) moves on to the 2015 USCAA Baseball National Championship Semi-Finals against Illinois Tech, Friday afternoon, at 2 p.m.

Senior right-handed pitcher Matt Klena (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) pitched five innings to improve his overall record to a perfect 7-0 on the mound. He faced 23 batters, throwing 48 strikes on 74 pitches. McGee came to pitch the final inning and 2/3 to earn his fourth save on his senior season. He faced six batters, throwing 13 strikes on 20 pitches, sitting down two on strike-out.

Arroyo went 2-for-2, scoring one run and batting another in. Del Rio, Hollis and Jacko all went 2-for-3 in the batter's box as Jacko scored a run. McGee and Nusser marked a run each for GA as Wroniak and McGee marked RBIs.

You can follow the contest against Illinois Tech by live stats, click here!