- The Mounties were on the wrong end of a pair of high-scoring contests Saturday afternoon, as Penn State Altoona completed the sweep with an 11-10 nail-biter in game one followed by a 13-9 victory in game two.
Game One: Penn State Altoona 11, Mount Aloysius 10
After falling into an early hole, Mount Aloysius nearly pulled off a stunning comeback before coming up just short in a one-run loss.
Penn State Altoona struck quickly, plating nine runs over the first three innings, highlighted by a three-run homer from Brian Chelli in the third that made it 9-0. The Mounties got on the board in the fourth with a solo home run from Trent Dickson (Reinholds, Pa., Cocalico), and the offense erupted in the middle innings to claw back into the game.
A five-run fifth inning sparked the rally, with Tyler Alexander (Portage, Pa., Portage)Â launching a homer, Michael Todd (Pittsburgh, Pa., Seton LaSalle)Â driving in a run with a double, and Andrew Scalia (Windber, Pa., Windber)Â adding a pinch-hit RBI single. The Mounties weren't done, as they exploded for four more runs in the sixth. Dickson reached on an error to bring in a run before Anthony Maseto (Cherry Tree, Pa., Harmony)Â crushed a three-run homer to tie the game at 10-10.
However, the comeback effort was halted in the seventh when Altoona regained the lead on a sacrifice fly from Jarek Szaflarski. Despite matching Altoona 11-11 in hits and overcoming a nine-run deficit, the Mounties couldn't push across the equalizer in the final frame.
Maseto led the offense with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, driving in three runs, while Dickson scored three times and homered. Alexander also added a long ball in the loss.
Game Two: Penn State Altoona 13, Mount Aloysius 9
The second game followed a similar script, with both teams trading blows early before Altoona pulled away late.
Mount Aloysius jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first inning behind RBI hits from Maseto and Scalia, and the teams continued to go back-and-forth through the middle innings. The Mounties took a 7-6 lead in the fifth after Coy Martino (Punxsutawney, Pa., Punxsutawney)Â delivered a two-run single and Sidric Grove (Clearville, Pa., Everett)Â followed with an RBI knock.
Altoona responded immediately, scoring three runs in the sixth to regain control, aided by a solo home run from Chelli and a two-run double from Cole Strick. The Mounties answered to tie the game at 9-9 in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run single from catcher Cole Harkness (Hughesville, Md., Saint Mary's Ryken).
But once again, Altoona had the final say. They pushed across a run in the seventh before capitalizing on Mountie miscues in the eighth to score three more and create separation. The Mounties were held scoreless over the final three innings.
Offensively, the Mounties pounded out 16 hits, with Alexander (3 hits), Maseto (3 more hits), and Grove (3 hits, 2 RBI) leading the charge. Martino and Harkness each drove in two runs, while Scalia added a pair of hits and an RBI.
Despite the offensive production and totaling 19 runs on 27 hits across the doubleheader, the Mounties were unable to overcome early deficits and late-inning swings, as Altoona capitalized on timely hitting to secure the sweep.
The Mounties (8-18, 2-5 AMCC) will host the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats (4-14, 3-2 AMCC) in their next contest. It will be a single nine-inning game and first pitch will be at 3:00 pm at Calandra-Smith Baseball Field.Â
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