Mont Alto Baseball Comes up Short in PSUAC Tournament

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

DuBois, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto baseball team came up short in both of its respective PSUAC Tournament Semifinals on Sunday. PSUMA first squared off against the No. 1 seed out of the PSUAC East, PSU Wilkes-Barre who held on for the 7-5 win. Mont Alto was unable to fend off elimination in the losers bracket as PSU Brandywine completed a come from behind victory with the 5-3 win.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre 7, Penn State Mont Alto 5

• After a scoreless first inning, PSU Wilkes-Barre drew first blood plating five runs within the second inning. Rob McClay lined a two-RBI double off of PSUMA starter Hunter Martin (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown). Wilkes-Barre scored another pair of runs with a defensive error during the Tanner Williams at-bat and pushed another run across the board when Leroy Fettig drew a bases loaded walk.
• Wilkes-Barre made it 5-0 tacking a run off of reliever Colin Osborne (Williamsport, Md. / Williamsport) in the bottom of the fifth inning.
• Mont Alto's offense finally responded in the top of the sixth inning with a Jeremiah Younker (Hagerstown, Md. / Williamsport) single in which plated a pair of runs. AJ Millar (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) made it 6-4 when he lashed a two-RBI double to left field. A defensive error by the Lions helped Mont Alto score another run, but John Fagotti was able to escape a bases loaded jam.
• Wilkes-Barre added an insurance run in the bottom half of the frame for the 7-5 final.
• Both Younker and Colby Black (Shippensburg, Pa. / Big Spring) finished with two hits apiece.

Penn State Brandywine 5, Penn State Mont Alto 3

• Both teams continued to battle the elements as a misty rain lasted through the majority of this game as Brandywine used a go-ahead three-run homer in the top seventh inning to starve off elimination. Mont Alto had the tying runners on base in the bottom half of the frame, but were unable to get the job done as a pop out ended the game
• PSUMA scored first with a clutch two-run double from Hunter Martin (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) in the first inning.
• Both teams scored a run apiece in the fourth inning. PSUMA scored an unearned run off of Joe Hurley when Chance McClure (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) reached on an error.

Despite not bringing home a PSUAC trophy, Mont Alto has had a great season with a 25-18 overall record and was 11-4 in the PSUAC during the regular season. The team will now wait and see if they receive an at-large bid into the USCAA Small College World Series (May 12-16). The USCAA will announce the bids via a selection show on Monday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. and it can be viewed here once it's released.