Beaver Baseball Team Advances to PSUAC Championship

Butler, PA - On Saturday, May 1, the # 2 seed Penn State Beaver baseball team recorded victories over # 3 seed Penn State Brandywine, 5-3, and # 1 seed Penn State Greater Allegheny, 3-2. The wins advanced Beaver to Sunday's championship game.

In the first game, Beaver took an early lead in the second inning after freshman Tom Lewis (Hopewell High School, Aliquippa, PA) led off with a double, was sacrificed to second, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Cory Wagner (Center High School, Aliquippa, PA). Brandywine took the lead in the fifth, after scoring one run in both the fourth and fifth innings for a 2-1 lead. Beaver rallied in the sixth, taking the lead for good and scoring four runs. Senior Cody Moldovan (Ellwood City High School, Ellwood City, PA) drove in two runs during the rally.

Beaver was led offensively by Moldovan and Senior Joe Scherer (Quaker Valley High School, Fair Oaks, PA) with two hits each. Moldovan and Wagner each drove in two runs. On the mound, Scherer threw a gem, pitching a complete game, giving up six hits, walking one, and striking out eight.

In game two, the winner's bracket game, Beaver took on Greater Allegheny. A single by Lewis, Wagner, and junior Billy Stoughton (Slippery Rock High School, Slippery Rock, PA) opened up the scoring in the top of the second as Beaver took an early 1-0 lead. Beaver scored again in the sixth to build a 2-0 lead.

Greater Allegheny came back, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at two. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Beaver took the lead, scoring on freshman Markus Allen's (Union High School, New Castle, PA) double.  Greater Allegheny advanced a runner to third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't get the runner in as Beaver held on for the 3-2 lead.  

In the win, senior Greg Frederick (Quaker Valley High School, Fair Oaks, PA) pitched seven strong innings, giving up four hits, and striking out nine. Offensively, Allen and Lewis led the way; each had two hits.

Tomorrow's game begins at 3:00 p.m.