SMCC eliminates Penn State Greater Allegheny 8-6

HAMPTON, VA --  A two-run triple from Scott Nappi highlighted a five-run sixth inning as sixth-seeded Southern Maine CC defeated seventh-seeded Penn State Greater Allegheny 8-6 in an elimination game at the 2008 USCAA Baseball National Championships on Wednesday.

Southern Maine CC (23-20) now advances to face eighth-seeded Robert Morris-Springfield at 1:30 pm in the second round of elimination games.

Penn State Greater Allegheny started the scoring in the first inning on a pair of RBI singles from Craig Price and Jon Brletic.  The Seawolves answered with a run in the bottom of the first on a RBI single from Chasen Barritt.

In the second, Penn State scored another on a RBI triple from Nick Wruble to score Matt Shyosky.  Southern Maine answered with a run in its half of the third as Bradley Grady reached on an error, advanced to second on a hit by pitch and eventually scored on a pair of wild pitches for a 3-2 Penn State advantage.

The Seawolves tied the game in the fourth as Sean Casey doubled then scored on a throwing error for a 3-3 score.  Penn State Greater Allegheny pushed three across in the fifth as Brletic singled in a pair and Corey Collins' sacrifice fly scored the third for a 6-3 lead.

In the sixth, the Seawolves scored a run on an error and followed with consecutive triples by Nappi and Kyle Egbert and a RBI single from Barritt for the 8-6 lead.

Jon Vergilio picked up the win for SMCC throwing the last two innings striking out three and allowing two hits.  Casey was 3-for-3 with two runs, while Barritt and Nappi drove in two apiece.  Penn State Greater Allegheny was paced by Jon Brletic going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

SOUTHERN MAINE CC 8, PENN STATE GREATER ALLEGHENY 6

Penn State GA  210 030 0 - 6 10 4

Southern Maine               101 105 x - 8 8 1

WP: Vergilio; LP: Wruble.  Standouts: Penn State Greater Allegheny, Wruble 2-4 (2 runs, triple), Myers 2-3, Price 2-4 (2 runs), Brletic 3-4; Southern Maine CC, Nappi 1-3 (2-run triple, 2 runs), Barritt 2-3 (2RBIs), Casey 3-3 (2 doubles, 2 runs).