Moving On, Pioneers Sweep Penn State Altoona In AMCC Tournament

The No. 3 seeded Alfred State baseball team (20-20) have moved on to the championship round of the AMCC Tournament after sweeping the No. 6 seeded Penn State-Altoona Lions (17-21) in the first round Saturday afternoon in Alfred, N.Y.

Game one: ASC 6, PSA 4

The Pioneers recorded 7 hits, 6 runs, 5 RBIs and 3 errors.

The Lions recorded 5 hits, 4 runs, 4 RBIs and 2 errors.

Pioneer Leaders:

Jack Curabba (Shohola, Pa/Delaware Valley) went 3-for-3 with 2 runs.

Matteo Avallone (Mahopac/Bridgton Academy) has 4 RBIs.

Nick Serce (Irondequoit) went 1-for-1 and was walked 3 times.

Devin Mersmann (Arcade/Pioneer) recorded 1 RBI.

What Happened:

In the first inning Avallone hit his 10^th home run of the season to left field plating Serce and Curabba.

The Lions took the lead after scoring two runs in the fourth inning then two more in the fifth.

The Pioneers answered back during the bottom of the fifth inning starting off with a walk from Avallone that brought home Elijah Barinas (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond). Then Mersmann reached first on an error from the Lions shortstop to bring home Curabba.

To end the first game Owen Lansing (Lyncourt/Solvay) scored on a wild pitch.

Pioneer Pitching:

AJ Gartland (Irondequoit) pitched 4 innings and allowed 4 hits, 4 runs, walked 3 and struck out 1.

Nick Serce (Sv, 2) (Irondequoit) pitched 2 innings and allowed 1 hit, 0 runs, walked 1 and struck out 4.

Chris Baldwin (W, 1-1) (Patchogue- Medford) pitched 1 inning and allowed 0 hits, 0 runs, walked 2 and struck out 0.

Game two: ASC 16, PSA 1

The Pioneers recorded 20 hits, 16 runs, 15 RBIs and 2 errors.

The Lions recorded 8 hits, 1 run, 1 RBI and 2 errors.

Pioneer Leaders:

Serce went 4-for-6 with 5 RBIs.

Barinas went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

Gavin Moore (Hilton) went 3-for-5 with 2RBIs.

Curabba went 3-for-5 with 1 RBI.

Lansing went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI.

Bobby Sellers (Henrietta) went 1-for-1 with 3 RBIs.

Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon) had 1 RBI.

What happened:

During the second inning Lansing singled bringing home Devin Mersmann (Arcade/Pioneer) and Barinas singled to bring home Lansing. Moore singled to plate Barinas. And then Moore scored on a error by the Lions shortstop.

In the third inning Barinas singled to left field plating Mersmann.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Serce hit a home run.

During the seventh inning the Pioneers scored six runs.

Moore singled plating Lansing then Barinas stole home plate. Curabba singled plating Moore, Serce hit a homer plating Curabba and Burdett singled bringing home Avallone.

To wrap it up, during the eighth inning Sellers doubled to center field bringing home Barinas, Sam Dickerson (Cutchogue/Mattituck) and Dom Francavilla (Binghamton, NY / Chenango Valley). Serce doubled down the right field line plating Sellers.

Pioneer Pitching:

Jack Josephson (Penfield) pitched 7 innings and allowed 7 hits, 1 run, walked 2 and struck out 5.

Spencer Riehler (Lewiston, NY / Lewiston-Porter) pitched 1 inning and allowed 0 hits, 0 runs, walked 0 and struck out 0.

Tyler Staffieri (Fairport, NY / Fairport) pitched 1 inning and allowed 1 hit, 0 runs, walked 0 and struck out 1.

The Pioneers will play the No. 2 seeded Mount Aloysius College on Thursday at 4 p.m.

-Story by Marcus Lawson, Alfred State Sports Management Student