Baseball Set for First Round Playoff Matchup With Fayette

McKeesport, PA. - It came down to the last series of the year, but the Penn State Greater Allegheny Baseball Team (13-13, 8-7) captured the #3 seed in the Penn State University Athletic Conference West Division and made the playoffs for the sixth time in the last ten seasons. They take their first-round matchup on the road when they head to #2 seed Penn State Mont Alto (23-9, 11-4) Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

It was a potent PSUGA offense that captured them the number three seed as they combined to score 37 runs in the three game series agaimst New Kensington including back-to-back shutout wins in the series finale. Senior Dylan Ernst (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) and sophomore Brett Yuhas (Munhall, PA./Steel Valley HS) have led the way driving in runs when they get on base.

For Yuhas, it was his biggest series of the year as he went 8-16 (.500) with one home run and 10 RBI in the three-game series pushing his season total to a team leading 27 RBI on the year. For his efforts, Yuhas was named the PSUAC Hitter of the Week for the first time in his career as he looks to be one of the big bats for PSUGA in the playoff race.

For Ernst, his success has been very consistent all season long as the team's number three and four hitter. He is second on the team with 24 RBI and has a season-long 23 game hitting streak in the works reaching base safely at least once in every single game dating back to March 6th when the team was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Ernst is also the last remaining member from the last PSUGA Championship team back in 2015 and brings that veteran presence to the lineup.

While the offense was strong, it did not go to waist with a great effort from the PSUGA pitching staff. With the team needing a win to clinch the playoff spot in the first game of Monday's doubleheader, Matt Givler (Coatesville, PA./Coatesville HS) went out and tossed the team's first No-Hitter in over two years. He lasted the full five innings and allowed just one base runner via a walk in the bottom of the second inning.

Last season, PSUGA entered the tournament as the #2 seed and were eliminated in the first round against PSU-Beaver 7-1. They are looking yo avenge last year's eaely exit and find their way back to Dubois for the double elimination tournament. PSUGA is now in the same situation as Beager was as they look to knock off the #2 seed.

First Pitch for Saturday's first round contest is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Mont Alto Baseball field. There will be Live Stats available thanks to PSU-Mont Alto.