Baseball Drop a Pair of One-Run Games to Southern Virginia University

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

BUENA VISTA, Va. – The Penn State Mont Alto baseball team saw their bats heat up in a road trip doubleheader against Southern Virginia University on Saturday, but the team couldn't hold onto one-run advantages in either contest. Mont Alto dropped the first game 6-5 and was topped 5-4 by the Knights in the nightcap of the twinbill. 

Southern Virginia University 6, Penn State Mont Alto 5

• Colby Black (Shippensburg, Pa. / Big Spring) went 2-for-4 to jump-start the lineup.
• Outfielder Hunter Martin (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) hit the first homer of the season for the Nittany Lions in the top of the first inning, which put PSUMA up 2-0.
• Southern Virginia plated home a run in the bottom half of the first on a RBI single from Cole Critchfield. The Knights tied it up an inning later on a sacrifice fly.
• Mont Alto regained the lead in the top of the third when Jeremiah Younker (Hagerstown, Md. / Williamsport) earned a bases loaded walk.
• Lowell Singer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) made his second start of the season and struggled with command issuing five walks in three innings. The junior only gave up a pair of base knocks and struck out a pair.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Southern Virginia tied it up at 3-3 on another RBI single, which was given up by William LaRussa (Arnold, Md. / Broadneck) out of the bullpen.
• Jeremiah Younker (Hagerstown, Md. / Williamsport) crushed his first homer of the season in the top of the fifth giving his team the 5-3 lead.
• Southern Virginia would plate home two runs in the sixth, both on walks to tie it up at 5 runs apiece. Jeremiah Younker (Hagerstown, Md. / Williamsport) gave up the winning run in the bottom of the seventh when Nate McCallum doubled home Brady Lamb who scored on a misplay in the field.

Southern Virginia University 5, Penn State Mont Alto 4

• The No. 1-5 hitters once again set the plate for the Mont Alto offensive attack with Colby Black, Nick Jacoby, Hunter Martin, Jermiah Younker and Brady Topper each managing at least a hit.
• Joseph Wunsch (Dover, Del. / Dover Area) got his first collegiate hit when he shot a double to center field in the third inning.
• Southern Virginia scored first building a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first stanza.
• Tanner Rhoads (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) sliced an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to a run, but Southern Virginia would respond in the bottom of the frame win a run of their own.
• Mont Alto would tie the game in the fourth inning with Jeremiah Younker (Hagerstown, Md. / Williamsport) and Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown) each scoring a run.
• Topper gave the Nittany Lions the 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on a single that scored Nick Jacoby (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg).
• Southern Virginia wound up scoring the eventual winning-run in the bottom half of the fifth when Spencer Meyers (Greencastle, Pa. / Greencastle Antrim) gave up an RBI single.

The pair of non-conference road losses drops Mont Alto to 0-4 on the season with the team returning to action in a week. The team will travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to take part in the Ripkin Experience playing in five games in three days.