Baseball wins three straight on Sunday, captures back-to-back PSUAC titles

DUBOIS, Pa.- Following a 7-5 loss to Hazleton early Saturday, Mont Alto baseball found itself in a not ideal yet familiar situation. The task ahead, win four straight games to capture a second straight PSUAC Championship. Mont Alto found itself down 8-1 in an elimination game against Penn State Shenango later that afternoon. Like many times before, each game requires 21 outs and the game is still alive until so. Mont Alto put up five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to stay in the game. In the bottom of the fifth, Wyatt Kissel trimmed the deficit to one with a solo home run. When the team needed a hero in the bottom of the seventh, he delivered again to tie the game at 8-8 with another solo home run. Those two moments jolted life back into the team as they walked off Shenango in the next inning to win 9-8 and advance to the final day of championship competition.

Last year, Mont Alto defeated DuBois twice to win the championship. This season, DuBois stood in the way of Mont Alto reaching yet another title game. As was the case the entire weekend, Coach Kissel pressed the right button on his pitching staff and they delivered all weekend. Elijah White, fresh off a relief appearance on Saturday against Shenango started against DuBois and closed the door from the start. He went five innings and kept the DuBois offense off balance all afternoon. The Mont Alto offense struck early and often, getting out to an early 4-0 lead. Mont Alto added four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win 9-2 over DuBois and advanced to face Hazleton in the PSUAC Championship round.

Athan Miller earned the start in game one of the championship as he went three innings before Jayden Bell came in to shut the door on the Hazleton offense. Carter Fogal earned the save as he pitched the final inning and struck out the side. Down 2-1 in the 3rd, Fogal delivered the three run home run which would prove to be the difference. Mont Alto would force the championship to the if necessary game with a 4-2 victory.

Mont Alto was determined the visiting team via coin flip prior to the game and came out early and often in the top of the first inning. Wyatt Kissel scored James Sibert to move ahead 1-0. A few batters later, Garrett Rosenberry provided one of the best plays of the tournament by hitting a grand slam to right field and putting Mont Alto ahead 5-0. Garrett Worth would go back-to-back as Mont Alto lead 6-2 after one inning. Mont Alto combined for 16 hits and James Sibert also recorded the big hit in the game, a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning.

Jayden Bell, Wyatt Martin and Carter Fogal allowed just two runs in relief of starter Seth Dodson as Mont Alto won their second straight conference championship by a final of 15-4 over Penn State Hazleton. The team will earn an automatic bid to the USCAA Tournament starting May 11 in DuBois, Pa.

Tournament Notable Performances

Wyatt Kissel 15-23, .652 AVG, 1,035 SLG, 2 HR, 8 RBI

Garrett Worth 7-12, .583 AVG, 1.167 SLG, 2 HR, 10 RBI

James Sibert 9-21, .429 AVG, .857 SLG, 3 HR, 7 RBI

Elijah White 2-0, 9.1 IP, 2.89 ERA

Jayden Bell 2-0, 8.2 IP, 2.08 ERA