Ligeros Earns First Collegiate Win on Mound in 1-1 Split for GA Baseball

Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny men's baseball team took a 14-0 triumph over the University of Valley Forge, Tuesday afternoon, before the men dropped a hard-fought battle with Lackawanna under the lights, 4-1.

Through game one, Greater Allegheny was quick to get on the board. Junior outfielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) walked to first as he stole second. Junior catcher Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) singled to the shortstop before both advanced on stolen bases. Hollis stole home to get GA on the board before senior third baseman John Nusser (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) reached first on an error, batting home Del Rio, 2-0 Lions after the first inning.

The third inning brought a Nusser single followed by a sophomore designated hitter Luke Padezan (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) single to third base. Freshman first baseman Jordan Graziano (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) hammered a huge double to center field, batting in Nusser. Freshman shortstop Brandon Koglin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) went to first on a hit by pitch as freshman pinch hitter Gary Faupel (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) singled to right field, bringing home Padezan and Graziano, and advancing to second on a stolen base.

Sophomore second baseman Adam Jacko (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) reached first on an error, scoring Koglin, as Hollis sacrifice flied to center field, bringing Faupel to score, 9-0 GA. Del Rio singled to center field to score Jacko as freshman third baseman Dylan Finocchi (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) slammed a triple down the left field line, zipping in Del Rio. Freshman designated hitter Cody Calfo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) was hit by pitch before reaching third on a wild pitch, scoring Finocchi.

Padezan was back up to bat with a single to center field to bat home Calfo. Junior designated hitter Daniel Daly (Glassport, Pa./South Allegheny) doubled to center field to bat in Padezan to wrap up the bottom of the third inning, Greater Allegheny now ahead 14-0.

The game continued on but the swell was too much for Valley Forge to handle, Greater Allegheny obtaining their first win of the season with a perfect shutout through five innings.

Ligeros (1-0) earned his first career win on the mound for the Lions as the sophomore let up just two hits through 18 batters faced. The left-handed pitcher threw 39 strikes on 54 pitches, sitting down four on strike-outs.

The Lions connected on 12 hits, as a large part of the Greater Allegheny staff got involved in the first game. Del Rio went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while Padezan added 2-of-3 with two runs tallied himself with one batted in. Hollis went 1-for-2 at the plate with three RBIs and a run while Faupel denoted 1-of-2 with two RBIs and a run.

The Lions looked to continue the steam roll through game two over Lackawanna under the lights at 6:30 p.m.

The game started out even before the Lions came back to bat in the bottom of the second inning. Finocchi singled before he moved to third off of a stolen base and a ground out. Finocchi went on to work to get to home on a passed ball, Greater Allegheny up 1-0.

The game was in Greater Allegheny's favor until the top of the fourth inning, when Lackawanna tied the game at one with a huge triple down the right field line, just out of reach for the defending Lions, 1-1.

Despite connecting on three hits, the Lions worked until the top of the seventh inning, when Lackawanna capitalized on GA miscommunication. The winning run was earned by an error before the third tally was added with a wild pitch. The final run of the game came by the way of a double down the left field line, Lackawanna now ahead of GA 4-1.

The bottom of the seventh inning just was not enough for the men to battle their way back to keep the game, falling in their fourth game of the season.

Graziano saw six innings on the mound with 27 batters faced and 66 strikes on the day. Jordan sat down nine batters on strike-out. Freshman right-handed pitcher Max Whiteman (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) came in the for the final inning of the  contest, where he put up 15 strikes on nine batters faced.

GA (1-4) will look onward to Wednesday, as the men continue their Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach. First up on the agenda is New River College at 12 p.m. before the men close out the day with action over Carl Sandburg College at 3 p.m.