Whiteman's Grand Slam Lifts Mountain Cats Over Alderson-Broaddus

05/07/2010

Matt Whiteman's (North Huntingdon, Pa.) two-out grand slam in the eighth inning erased a two-run deficit and led the Mountain Cats to a 7-5 victory over Alderson-Broaddus (WV) College in an elimination game on Friday at the 2010 WVIAC Baseball Touranment at Johnstown's Point Stadium. Pitt-Johnstown, 29-17 on the year, advances to play in Saturday's Game 8 at 3:30 p.m.
     Alderson-Broaddus came out and scored two runs in the top of the first. The Battlers opened the game with three straight hits. Ronnie Whitt had an RBI single, and Trevor Funk scored from third on Gary Valadez' ground ball double play.
     The Battlers got another run in the third on a throwing error by Mountain Cat catcher Justin Demek (Cabot, Pa.) to go up 3-0.
     Pitt-Johnstown got two runs back in the bottom of the third.  Andy Rubal (Johnstown, Pa.) and Zach Martin (Irwin, Pa.) both walked and eventually came around to score on back-to-back RBI singles by Demekand Whiteman.
     Alderson-Broaddus added two more in the eighth to build its lead to 5-2. Mark Ruiz reached third on a throwing error and scored an unearned run on a wild pitch, before Valadez singled to left to plate Funk.
     The Mountain Cats exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Whiteman's grand slam that hit to top of the left field screen and bounced out, to put Pitt-Johnstown up 7-5.  Jon Moore (Leechburg, Pa.) worked out of a jam in the ninth to secure his sixth save.
     Whiteman finished 3-for-5 with a double, a grand slam and five RBI, while Jeff Campbell (Brackenridge, Pa.) and Drew Shaulis (Somerset, Pa.) each had two hits.
     Matt Staub (Latrobe, Pa.) pitched eight strong innings and gave up five runs (3 earned) on nine hits to improve to 6-1. Staub also struck out four and didn't allow a walk.
     The Battlers' season came to an end with a 27-14 record.

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