HAMPTON, Va. - The Illinois Tech baseball team has advanced to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship game with their win this afternoon over Penn State Greater Allegheny.  It took all seven innings for a run in this game as Hawks sophomore pitcher James Tarala and Lions pitcher Eddie Emes both threw strong games.  Defenses on both sides also stood out today, holding the score at 0-0 for 6 and a half innings.  Illinois Tech tied a tournament record by turning 4 double plays in a single game.  

Junior Shane Pung continued his strong tournament showing, going 2-for-2 causing Emes to intentionally walk him on his 3rd at bat.  Senior William Cronin added a hit in the 4th inning.  Neither team had more than 1 hit in an inning until the 7th and final inning.  Penn State got two singles in the 7th before Tarala struck out the next batter for the third out, leaving two runners on base.  

The Hawks rode the momentum and put the game to an end in the bottom of the 7th, avoiding any extra innings.  Senior Michael Malfeo walked to lead off and then Junior Brian Colon-Rodriguez, playing against his former team, hit a crucial single to right field.  Senior Alex Babusci, who made an incredible leaping catch and turned it into a double play in the 5th inning, stepped up to the plate next with teammates on 1st and 2nd.  Babusci connected on a sacrafice bunt to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd.  Pung loaded the bases when he was intentionally walked.  Freshman Andrew Lamkin made something of his at-bat reaching on a fielder's choice but at the cost of Malfeo being thrown out at home.  Sophomore Kyle Bumpass closed out the game by smacking a line drive in the reach of the Lions' 2nd baseman who had trouble handling it, bringing pinch runner Matthew Bishop in for the game-winning run.  

The Scarlet Hawks in its first year as a member of the USCAA has reserved their spot in the championship game of the Small College World Series by running through the winners bracket with 3 straight wins.  They will play for the trophy tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 EST at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, Virginia.  Their opponent will be decided tomorrow morning in the final of the secondary bracket and will have to beat Illinois Tech twice in order to win the championship.  If Tech wins the first 9-inning game or the 2nd, they will walk away as the 2015 USCAA National Champions.