Baseball Advances to AMCC Championship

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball team took down Mount Aloysius 9-2 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) semifinals Friday afternoon.

The Lions (29-14) used a four-run sixth inning to take the lead, and a three-run eight to build some insurance. John Hlavinka (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) paced the team with three hits and David Boehme (Venetia, PA/Seton-Le Salle) hit a double that knocked in a game-high two RBIs.

Justin Rohrer (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) continued to mow down opposing lineups this season, throwing a complete game. In his nine innings, he held the Mounties (25-19) to just four hits and two runs while striking out three.

Mt. Aloysius got a pair of runs in the second, but Rohrer shut the door for the next seven innings and let the offense take over and defense hold the lead.

Brain Bohman (Erie, PA/McDowell) scored to get Behrend on the board in the third off a productive fielder's choice. Then a little small ball by the Lions in the fifth tied the game at 2-all. After Matt Wolczko (Apollo, PA/Kiski Area) singled, Alex Margraf (Erie, PA/McDowell) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him over. Hlavinka later singled Wolczko in to tie the game.

Behrend then busted the game open in the sixth. Wolczko hit an RBI single to get things started. John Brittner (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) and Wolczko each stole to put runners on second and third and took advantage of an error by the catcher to both score. Hlavinka then used a productive out to drive in Margraf and end the inning with four runs on three hits.

Taking advantage of another error in the eighth, Wolczko crossed the plate one more time before Boehme doubled and drove in two more runs to give the Lions a seven-run cushion heading into the final frame.

Behrend plays the winner of Mt. Aloysius and La Roche at 10 a.m. (and 1 p.m. if necessary) for the AMCC Championship.