Only two teams remain in the AMCC after three days of championship baseball at Sargent's Stadium at the Point in Johnstown, PA. No. 1 Penn State Behrend defeated #6 Pitt-Bradford 15-14 in the winner's bracket in the first game of the day on Friday. The win for Behrend sent the Lions straight through to the championship game set for Sunday afternoon. No. 2 Alfred State College then defeated No. 3 Pitt-Greensburg 7-5 to eliminate the Bobcats from the tournament. The Pioneers had to return to the diamond and take on sixth seed Pitt-Bradford in the final elimination game of the tournament, with the winner headed to the championship game tomorrow afternoon. Alfred State came out on top 6-4 in that game to send the Panthers home and advance to the AMCC championship game.
#1 Penn State Behrend d. #6 Pitt-Bradford, 15-14
The No. 1 Penn State Behrend baseball team has advanced to the AMCC Championship Series after a 15-14 victory over No. 6 Pitt-Bradford Friday afternoon.
The Lions scored in all but two innings that they came to the plate on Friday, while both teams combined for 29 runs on 30 hits. Behrend kicked off the scoring early with a two-run ground-rule double from Thomas Nicely and an RBI groundout by Cayden Turner in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Dylan Barnes recorded his 100th career hit in the inning with a single through the right side. Behrend tacked on four more runs in the second inning with back-to-back-to-back runs batted in by Barnes, Mac Ciocco, and Daniel Boehme.
Pitt-Bradford got on the board with a sacrifice fly from Trent Bielak in the top of the third.
The Lions' Tyler Burick and Hank Shaffer started the bottom of the third with a single and a double which led to a three-run homer by Silvio Ionadi, extending the Lions advantage to 10 (11-1). This marked the second straight game and third of the season that Ionadi has delivered a long ball. The Panthers cut their deficit to seven (11-4) in the bottom of the third with an RBI double and single from Alex Ognen and Tim Johnson. A two-out RBI double by Chase Palmer got a run back for Behrend in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, the Lions pushed their lead back 10 (14-4) with a pair of RBIs by Burick and Palmer. Seven runs, five hits, and three home runs courtesy of Blake Prestash, Johnson, and Bielak in the top of the seventh closed the Panthers gap to three (14-11). Behrend added some cushion in the eighth inning on another RBI from Palmer to make the score 15-11. Pitt-Bradford threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth, getting within a run (15-14) on a pair of home runs off the bat of Ognen and Bielak. However, Behrend reliever Joe Lang secured the win for his fifth save of the year with five strikeouts. Starter Colin Bolla earned his sixth win of the season, hurling five innings to go along with six hits, four runs, and seven strikeouts. All nine Behrend hitters tallied at least one hit with six players registering two or more hits, while eight Lions notched an RBI. Palmer finished 3-for-3 with three runs batted in. Six Panthers had two hits, while Bielak drove in a game-high six runs with two homers.
#2 Alfred State d. #3 Pitt-Greensburg, 7-5
Second seed Alfred State defeated third seed Pitt-Greensburg 7-5 in Game 8 of the AMCC tournament, eliminating the Bobcats from the tournament. Pitt-Greensburg got the scoring started, putting up two runs in the top of the third inning when James Domer and Thomas Smith hit back-to-back home runs to give the Bobcats the 2-0 lead. Alfred State responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning with two home runs of their own. Elijah Barinas singled to left field before Zach Young homered to left center, tying the game at two-all. Tyler Korsky then singled to left field with Jordan Hughes also homering to left center, give the Pioneers a 4-2 edge. Pitt-Greensburg failed to score in the fourth, but Alfred State added two more to their total when Anthony Snyder and Connor Kiefer both singled and advanced to second and third on a sac bunt by Elijah Barinas. A Zach Young single to left field plated both Snyder and Kiefer, giving the Pioneers the 6-2 advantage after four. The Bobcats added another run in the fifth on Domer's second home run of the game, making the score 6-3 after five. Neither team scored in the sixth, and Pitt-Greesnburg kept chiseling away, adding two more runs in the top of the seventh, coming within a run at 6-5. In the bottom of the seventh, with bases loaded, Korsky scored on a balk by the Bobcat pitcher, putting the score at 7-5 in favor of Alfred State. Neither team scored in the final two innings, setting the 7-5 final.
Hughes and Young each recorded two hits for the Pioneers, with Young picking up a game-high four RBI. Nathan Lucks earned the win on the mound, while Mason Williams was credited with the save.
#2 Alfred State d. #6 Pitt-Bradford, 6-4
No. 2 Alfred State returned to the field half an hour after their victory over Pitt-Greensburg to earn their second win in as many games, defeating No. 6 Pitt-Bradford 6-4. The scoring kicked off in the top of the third inning when the Panthers' Tim Johnson drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt. A Maxwell Rogers groundout advanced Johnson to third before a Trent Bielak single to the right side scored Johnston, giving the Panthers the early 1-0 lead. Alfred State answered back in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own. Devin Mersmann started the inning off with a hit-by-pitch and quickly stole second base. Connor Kiefer then singled through the left side, allowing Mersmann to score on the throw, tying the game at 1-1. After a Pioneer fly out to center field, Zach Young homered to left field, scoring two more runs for Alfred State, giving them a 3-1 lead after three. After no runs by the Panthers in the top of the fourth, Alfred State added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Mersmann doubled down the right field line before a Kiefer double brought Mersmann in, increasing the Pioneer lead to 4-1. Neither team managed to put a run on the board in the fifth, but the Panthers added another in the top of the sixth and the Pioneers added two more in the bottom half. Caleb Walker doubled to center for the Pioneers and scored on a Mersmann single to center field. Mersmann then stole second base on a failed pickoff attempt and an Anthony Snyder single to left field brought in Mersmann, giving the Pioneers a 6-2 advantage after six. The Panthers added two more on in the top of the seventh when Aiden Zimmerman drew a walk then stole second. Rogers then doubled down the left field line plating Zimmerman. Rogers advanced to third on a Bielak single to right and eventually scored on a Blake Prestash fly out to center, setting the final score at 6-4 in favor of the Pioneers.
Kiefer, Korsky, Walker and Mersmann all recorded two hits a piece for the Pioneers, while Kiefer and Young each had two RBI on the night. Jordan Hughes picked up the win on the mound for Alfred State, going 6.0 innings while giving up two earned runs on seven hits and striking out three. Williams earned his second save on the day, tossing the final 3.0 innings, giving up zero runs on three hits with one strikeout.
No. 1 Penn State Behrend will take on No. 2 Alfred State Saturday in the championship series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Johnstown's Point Stadium.