Cresson, PA - Mount Aloysius baseball battled throughout but couldn't overcome a pivotal middle-inning surge, dropping game one to the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats, 7-4, on a cold and windy Wednesday afternoon in Cresson.
The Mounties set the tone early behind a strong start from Scott Ranallo (Pittsburgh, Pa., North Hills), who struck out five over three scoreless innings to keep Pitt-Greensburg off the board. Despite the solid pitching, Mount Aloysius couldn't break through offensively in the early frames, as the game remained scoreless through three.
After the Bobcats took advantage of an error to grab a 1-0 lead in the fourth, the Mounties answered immediately. Michael Todd (Pittsburgh, Pa., Seton LaSalle) came through with an RBI single to center, scoring Andrew Scalia (Windber, Pa., Windber) and tying the game at 1-1.
Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Mount Aloysius again responded, this time off the bat of Scalia, who crushed a solo home run to left field on the eleventh pitch of the at-bat to cut the deficit to one and provide a spark. The solo shot was the first of Scalia's collegiate career.
The turning point came in the seventh inning, where defensive miscues proved costly for the Mounties. The Bobcats capitalized on an error and strung together timely hits to plate three runs, stretching the lead to 6-2.
Mount Aloysius refused to go quietly. In the bottom half of the inning, Anthony Maseto (Cherry Tree, Pa., Harmony) laced an RBI double to left center, scoring Tyler Alexander (Portage, Pa., Portage) and trimming the deficit to 6-3. The Mounties continued to apply pressure late, adding another run in the ninth when Alexander scored on a fielder's choice, but the comeback fell short.
At the plate, Alexander and Scalia led the way with two hits apiece, with both players crossing the plate twice. Maseto also added two hits and an RBI, while Todd contributed an RBI knock in the fourth.
Mount Aloysius (8-19, 2-6 AMCC) will look to clean up defensively and bounce back this Saturday, when the Mounties travel to Bobcat Park in Greensburg, PA for a doubleheader against Pitt-Greensburg. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m., with game two to follow at 3:00 p.m.
