Cresson, PA - Mount Aloysius baseball erupted for 19 runs on 17 hits in a wild, back-and-forth slugfest to take down Penn State Altoona 19-13 on Tuesday afternoon in Cresson. Despite playing on their home field, the Mounties were technically the away team after the game was moved up a day and relocated due to expected weather, flipping the original schedule.
The Mounties came out firing in the opening frame, plating six runs on a string of timely hits. Anthony Maseto (Cherry Tree, Pa., Harmony) and Michael Todd (Pittsburgh, Pa., Seton LaSalle) each delivered two-run singles, while Tyler Day (La Plata, Md., La Plata) and Logan Quade (Mechanicsville, Md., Chopticon ) added RBIs to cap a relentless first-inning surge that gave Mount Aloysius a 6-0 lead.
Penn State Altoona answered immediately though, scoring four runs in the first and then exploding for five more in the second to take a 9-6 advantage. The Lions added another run in the third, extending the lead to 10-6 and putting the Mounties on their heels early.
That's when Trent Dickson (Reinholds, Pa., Cocalico) took over.
Dickson jumpstarted the comeback with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 10-8. An inning later, the Mounties delivered the decisive blow, erupting for eight runs in the fifth. Coy Martino (Punxsutawney, Pa., Punxsutawney) hit a two-run single that tied the game, and the Mounties capitalized on defensive miscues to take control. Maseto added an RBI knock, and catcher Cole Harkness (Hughesville, Md., Saint Mary's Ryken) ripped a two-run double as the Mounties surged ahead 16-12.
They tacked on another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Alexander (Portage, Pa., Portage) before adding two more insurance runs in the ninth on Todd's second multi-RBI hit of the day.
Dickson's impact extended beyond the batter's box. In his first appearance on the mound this season, he delivered a dominant performance out of the bullpen, earning the save. The Mounties starting shortstop tossed five innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out four and shutting down Altoona's offense down the stretch.
Quade picked up the win in relief, navigating through the middle innings to keep the Mounties within striking distance.
At the plate, several Mounties turned in standout performances. Todd led the way with three hits and four RBIs, while Maseto drove in three runs. Dickson finished with two hits, four runs scored, and two RBIs to go along with his strong outing on the mound. Sidric Grove (Clearville, Pa., Everett) added three hits and scored three times, and Martino chipped in two hits and two RBIs.
Despite Penn State Altoona piling up 22 hits, the Mounties made the most of it's opportunities and used a massive fifth inning and a lockdown relief outing by Dickson to secure the high-scoring victory.
With the win, the Mounties move to 7-17 (2-3, AMCC). Next time out, they will this time host Penn State Altoona (9-12, 0-5 AMCC) for a doubleheader at 1:00 and 3:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. The games will be played at Calandra-Smith Baseball Field.
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