Mont Alto Baseball Begin Spring Break Trip with Split Against Mid-Atlantic Christian and Fall to Cairn University

By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – The Penn State Mont Alto baseball team opened its Spring Break trip down south over the weekend and were swept by Cairn University before splitting a doubleheader with Mid-Atlantic Christian on Sunday, March 8. The Nittany Lions will now travel to Myrtle Beach where they'll play six games from March 10-13.

Cairn University 4, Penn State Mont Alto 3

• Mont Alto launched a late seventh inning rally that got themselves right back into the thick of things. Trailing 3-0, Hunter Reath (Mercersburg, Pa. / James Buchanan) lined a single to left field that plated Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown). And then with two-outs, Chance McClure (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) tied the score at three runs a piece when he rocketed a ball to left center field.
• Cairn University loaded the bases up in the bottom half of the frame and were able to walk it off when Trey Valiton walked.
• PSUMA managed five hits in the loss with Matt Huston (McConnellsburg, Pa. / McConnellsburg) striking out three opponents in 6.0 innings of work.

Cairn University 6, Penn State Mont Alto 2

• The Nittany Lions scored first in the bottom of the third inning when Hunter Reath (Mercersburg, Pa. / James Buchanan) flew out to right field, which drove in a run. The Highlanders made it 2-1 in the top of the fifth frame when they clawed back two runs off relief pitcher Cameron Lee (Warrenton, Va. / Fauquier).
• PSUMA once again tied the score back up when freshman catcher Owen McCleaf (Waynesboro, Pa. / Waynesboro Area) doubled home Chayse Fisher (Mercersburg, Pa. / James Buchanan) in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• Cairn University scored the margin of victory within the seventh inning as a throwing error helped the Highlanders.

Penn State Mont Alto 13, Mid-Atlantic Christian 8

• In a high scoring affair, the Nittany Lions earned their first victory of the 2020 season. The win occurred in extra innings with PSUMA exploding for six runs in the top of the ninth inning to blow the game wide open.
• The score was tied 7-7 when Chance McClure (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) ripped a two-RBI double to left field. Just two batters later, AJ Millar (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) nearly homered, but his fly ball hit the center field fence and drove in two more runs. Senior third basemen Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown) made it 13-7 when he crushed his first home run of the season.
• McClure earned the win on the mound for PSUMA pitching 2.1 innings of relief. The Nittany Lions bats were alive raking a season-high 13 hits, which included four doubles and the ninth inning homer from Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown).

Mid-Atlantic Christian 7, Penn State Mont Alto 2

• Freshman Tyler Moreland (Spring Mills, W.Va. / Spring Mills) started his second game of the season on the mound and worked 6.0 innings where he struck out six while giving up seven earned runs.
• PSUMA scored the first tun of the game in the top of the first inning when AJ Millar (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) drove in a run on a fielder's choice. The Mustangs scored two runs in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single and the other run scored on a wild pitch.
• Mid-Atlantic Christian made it 6-1 adding three runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning. PSUMA scored its other run when Caleb Leggett (Williamsport, Md. / Williamsport) doubled to right field that drove in Brady Topper (Littlestown, Pa. / Littlestown). The Mustangs scored an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Mont Alto baseball returns to action in a doubleheader on Tuesday with the first game against Penn State Schuylkill and the nightcap will be played against St. Clair Community College.