BUTLER, PA- A champion has not yet been decided. It took extra innings, but the Penn State Greater Allegheny Nittany Lions defeated University of Cincinnati-Clermont 8-7, snapping the Cougars twenty game winning streak in the process.
The Cincinnati-Clermont Cougars came out and took the lead early. With runners on second and third and no outs, a balk from Greater Allegheny's starter Evan James allowed the first Cougar run to score. Greater Allegheny followed in the third inning with two runs of their own. The inning started with back-to-back singles from Aaron McGee and Alente Johnson. Both would advance on a wild pitch before an RBI single from Mike Visloski scored McGee. Johnson added an RBI single in the fourth to make the score 3-1.
The Cougars came roaring back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Jake Scarlato hit a two RBI double and came around to score on a double from John Kennedy. Kennedy would score on a wild pitch giving Cincinnati-Clermont a 5-3 lead that chased James from the game. As they have done for the past three days, the Lions bats responded with four runs of their own in the top of the fifth. RBI hits from Adam Wehr, Jason Paris, McGee, and Johnson highlighted the scoring for Penn State Greater Allegheny.
With the score 7-5 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Cougars' bats came back alive. With runners on second and first, Trevor Cunningham laced a double to deep right center to tie the game at seven. Cincinnati-Clermont's Steve Hendrickson would then ground out to the pitcher to end the scoring threat.
In the top of the tenth it was Zach Zeroski with a two-out RBI single to score Alente Johnson and proper the Nittany Lions to their sixth straight win in the tournament. University of Cincinnati-Clermont and Penn State Greater Allegheny will lock up one more time, with the winner becoming the 2013 USCAA Baseball National Champion.
-USCAA
