GA Baseball Keeps the Ball Rolling with Two-Game Sweep over Worthington-Scranton

Scranton, Pa. - In a pair of seven-inning Penn State University Athletic Conference contests, the Penn State Greater Allegheny men's baseball team swept the Penn State Worthington-Scranton Lions, Sunday afternoon, by margins of 3-1 and 26-2.

Game one started quickly as junior second baseman Adam Jacko (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) singled before freshman third baseman Dylan Finocchi (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) singled to bat home Jacko, 1-0. Junior catcher Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) singled before the top of the inning ended.

Freshman outfielder Marcos Lopez (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Ramey High) doubled in the second before Worthington-Scranton managed to tie the game at one after the bottom of the second, 1-1.

The top of the third started out with a freshman designated hitter Max Whiteman (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) single before junior outfielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) singled. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Luke Padezan (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) singled to score to Whiteman, 2-1 GA.

The third inning wrapped up with three consecutive strike-outs from Padezan before both Lopez and Jacko walked and junior shortstop Brandon Koglin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) singled to load the bases.

Hollis managed a single in the fifth while sophomore outfielder Sam Ligeros (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) walked.

Top six began with another Jacko walk as Koglin took first base on an error. Sophomore pinch runner Dan Daly (Glassport, Pa./South Allegheny) came in to run for Koglin before he stole second. Del Rio sacrifice flied out to center-field, scoring Jacko for the third and final run in the first game, 3-1 Greater Allegheny.

Padezan notched his second win of the season on the bump, sitting down three of his 19 batters down in five innings. Junior right-handed pitcher Alex Riley (Pittsburgh, Pa./John Marshall) threw the final two innings, sitting down three of his seven batters down on strike-out.

Hollis went 2-of-4 through the first seven innings as seven other Lions' nabbed a hit themselves. Jacko finished up going 1-of-2 with two runs scored.

An electric second game was just around the corner for the Lions', who are were on a hot-streak from the double-header sweep the day before.

No runs in the first inning were tallied until the top of the second rolled around. Hollis, Padezan and Ligeros all singled to fill the bases before Lopez was hit-by-pitch to take his base and push Hollis to score. All of the base-runners then advanced a base on a passed ball, scoring Padezan. Sophomore designated hitter Nick Jeffers (Vinton, Ohio/River Valley) walked to fill the bases again to only advance all runners another base on passed ball, scoring Ligeros, 3-0 GA.

Jacko cranked a double to bat in both Jeffers and Lopez. With a Koglin double, Jacko scored, 6-0. Finocchi walked to base as Del Rio took first base on an error by the third baseman, scoring Koglin. Hollis walked to lead into a much needed pitching change for Worthington-Scranton. With a sacrifice fly to left-field, Padezan scored Finocchi to put Greater Allegheny way ahead of the home team, 8-0.

The most exciting inning for the Greater Allegheny offense was just around the corner. Both Jacko and Koglin walked to base as Finocchi singled to fill the bases. Del Rio doubled to bat home both Koglin and Jacko, 10-0 GA. Hollis singled to score Finocchi as Padezan singled to score Whiteman, who came in to courtesy run for Del Rio. Ligeros singled to fill the bases as both Lopez and Jeffers both were hit-by-pitches, scoring both Hollis and Padezan.

Jacko, Koglin, Whiteman and Hollis all walked to get on base to score Ligeros, Lopez, Jeffers and Jacko, 21-0 GA. This lead to a Worthington-Scranton pitching change.

Jeffers walked to score Padezan as Jacko singled to score Ligeros. The walks just kept on coming as Koglin and Finocchi took their base on balls, scoring Riley and Jeffers. Whiteman singled to bat in Jacko to finally put up their final tally of the inning, and contest, 26-0 visiting Lions.

Two hits turned into two runs for Worthington-Scranton in the bottom of the third, 26-2 GA.

A Ligeros hit-by-pitch, Jacko walk as well as a Hollis and Padezan single accounted for the final base appearances for Greater Allegheny through the now five-inning contest, Greater Allegheny coming out on top after two games, 26-2.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Jordan Graziano (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) threw the five-inning complete game, as the lefty sat down five of his 24 batters faced on strike-outs.

Hollis hit a perfect 4-of-4 with three runs scored with one RBI as Ligeros connected on 2-of-2 with three runs scored himself. Jacko added 2-of-3 with four runs and two runs batted in while Padezan went 3-of-5 with three runs and two RBIs. 

As a group, the Lions connected on 16-of-30 at bats with 26 runs scored.

Greater Allegheny (10-21, 8-11 PSUAC) will travel to Penn State DuBois to make up the second-half of the Penn State University Athletic Conference double-header. On Monday, the Lions will play in their final regular season contest of the year. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.