GA Baseball Opens Regular Season with Split over UC-Clermont

Cincinnati, Ohio - Through the first double-header of the 2016-17 regular season, the Penn State Greater Allegheny men's baseball team split a two-game day with Cincinnati-Clermont, Saturday afternoon, by margins of 4-2 and 11-10 through eight innings. 

Greater Allegheny got on the board in the top of the first as sophomore center-fielder Dylan Ernst (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) walked to push home junior second-baseman Adam Jacko (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny), 1-0 GA.

UC-Clermont answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning before Greater Allegheny made their mark in the top of the fifth.

Jacko walked to first base before sophomore third-baseman Dylan Finocchi (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) doubled to score Jacko. Senior catcher Francisco Del Rio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) sacrifice flied out to left field to score Finocchi and give Greater Allegheny the lead, 3-2.

The Lions added a little more breathing room in the top of the seventh as Del Rio single to score Finocchi, 4-2 Greater Allegheny.

Junior right-handed pitcher Luke Padezan (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) notched his second win on the bump of the season, as he faced 28 batters through seven innings. The complete game saw six sit down on strike-out while only allowing five hits.

Finocchi hit 3-of-4 with two runs and an RBI while Jacko went 1-for-2 with two runs scored.

Game two kicked off with three Cincinnati runs in the bottom of the first. The Lions were silent until the third.

Senior outfielder Mark Hollis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) was hit-by-pitch to force home junior first-baseman Joshua Arroyo (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Levittown Baptist Academy) home. Sophomore designated hitter Zach Craven (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) doubled to usher both Ernst and freshman outfielder Pedro Escobar (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) across home plate. Freshman outfielder Blake Flocker (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) singled to score Hollis and put Greater Allegheny ahead 4-3.

UC Clermont made the tying run in the third before the Lions added another in the fourth.

Escobar grounded out to the shortstop to bat home Del Rio, 5-4.

GA continued in the fifth with a Finocchi single to score Flocker. Arroyo singled to bat home Finocchi and continue the GA slide, 7-4.

Five hits in the bottom five, including a two-run double, resulted in a 8-7 upend, UC now in front.

Two UC runs in the bottom of the sixth and then two Lion runs led to the 10-10 tie after seven. Del Rio singled to bat home Jacko before Arroyo slapped a homer, driving both to score.

Extra innings proved not to be enough as UC marked a run in the bottom of the eighth to give the go-ahead win to UC.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Marcos Lopez (Caglas, Puerto Rico/Ramey) threw a complete game, where he faced 40 batters, sitting three down on strike-out.

Arroyo went 4-of-5 with three RBI and two runs scored while Del Rio hit 3-of-5 with two runs and one run batted in while Craven also went 3-of-5 with two RBI.

Greater Allegheny (2-5) looks to close the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) weekend with a nine-inning contest against UC-Clermont, Sunday afternoon.