Lions 7th Inning Rally Falls Short; Mont Alto Drops USCAA Opener to Marygrove

By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director

Glens Falls, N.Y. – The Penn State Mont Alto baseball team exploded for six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it was to-little-to-late as it fell 9-7 to Marygrove College in the first round of the USCAA Small College World Series.  Mont Alto managed eight hits off of Mustangs starter Daniel Bailey, but four of the hits came within the final frame.

Marygrove raced out of the gates and scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Raleigh Wilson led things off with a single, followed by Antonio Carta getting hit by a pitch and Juan Ventura cleared the bases with a double to left center. Ventura scored from second two batters later on an Ernesto Carrillo RBI single. The Mustangs padded their lead scoring a pair in the top of the third and added another run in the fourth on a Chase Turner double down the line, which put the No. 10 seed up 6-0. 

Penn State Mont Alto (14-23-1) got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring a run on a Mustangs defensive error. Lowell Singer singled and got into scoring position when Landon Richards reached on an error. Brandt Swartz pitch ran for Singer and touched home on a wild pitch during Cory Chatfield's at-bat.

The Mustangs scored three more runs including the game-winner in the seventh inning. Juan Ventura produced a two-RBI single and Travis Terrence earned the other RBI on a fielder's choice. Mont Alto mounted a furious rally in the bottom of the frame scoring six runs on four hits and were aided by a pair of fielding errors, but the Lions fell short losing 9-7. Cory Chatfield, Colby Black, Matt Taylor, Tyler Martin and Jeremiah Younker each had an RBI within the inning.

With the win, No. 10 Marygrove advanced to play the No. 2 seed College of St. Joseph's (VT) at 8 p.m. Mont Alto will play the loser of No. 3 Wright State Lake and No. 6 Penn State DuBois at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.