Singer Tosses a Gem as Baseball Splits with Central Penn in Home Opener

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

MONT ALTO, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto baseball team received a quality start from junior Lowell Singer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) who struck out nine on the mound to power his team to a 4-1 win in the first game against Central Penn but the visitor's earned the split winning the nightcap 7-3 on Saturday. 

Penn State Mont Alto 4, Central Penn 1

• Playing in its home opener on a chilly afternoon, Mont Alto had the early energy and scored a pair of first inning runs. Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown) drove in teammates Hunter Martin (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) and Nick Jacoby (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) with a two-out single.
• Central Penn drove in its only run of the game in the top of the third when Singer gave up an RBI double. Mont Alto responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run of its own when Nick Jacoby (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) ran the bases perfectly after getting on with a double. Jacoby advanced to third on a fly out and stole home when the Knights catcher had a ball squirt past him and was slow to react to the misplay.
• Lowell Singer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) lasted all seven innings for his first win of the season. He lowered his season ERA to 3.52.
• The Nittany Lions added its other insurance run in the bottom of the fourth when Colby Black (Shippensburg, Pa. / Big Spring) drove in Joel Clabaugh (Landisburg, Pa. / West Perry).

Central Penn 7, Penn State Mont Alto 3

• Mont Alto were out-hit by a 13-5 margin and didn't receive its first base knock until the bottom of the fourth when Jeremiah Younker (Hagerstown, Md. / Williamsport) sliced a single to right field.
• PSUMA were trailing 7-0 after the visitors built up the lead and got to starter Spencer Meyers (Greencastle, Pa. / Greencastle Antrim) who gave up five runs in two and a third innings pitched.
• The Nittany Lions clawed back for a pair of runs in the fourth, the first occurring when Younker scored on a passed ball, with the other happening on a RBI pitch-hit single from Landon Richards (McConnellsburg, Pa. / McConnellsburg).
• Joe Morrett (Dover, Pa. / Dover Area) appeared out of the bullpen in the second inning and did a good job limiting the damage lasting 3.1, before Younker pitched the finial 1.1 while striking out a pair.
• Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown) was the lone hitter with an extra base hit with his double in the fourth inning.
• The Nittany Lions scored the final run of the game when Jeremiah Younker drove home Chance McClure (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) on a two-out single for the final 7-3 margin.

Mont Alto (4-8) return to action on Tuesday with a nine-inning contest scheduled against Gettysburg College. First pitch in the road game is 3:30 p.m.