CRESSON, Pa. - La Roche baseball traveled to Mt. Aloysius on Wednesday to open their three-game season series against the Mounties, but were on the short end, falling 13-5.
For four innings, the Redhawks were in complete control.
They struck first in the second, when Troy Sallis delivered an RBI single to bring home Brady Angus. It wasn't flashy, but it was effective—manufacturing a run and setting the tone early. In the third, Alex Perez stayed hot at the plate, lining an RBI single down the right field line to extend the lead. By the fourth, La Roche added another run on aggressive baserunning, capitalizing on a wild pitch to go up 3–0.
At that point, everything was working.
Josh Cayer kept Mount Aloysius off balance through the first four innings, limiting damage and pitching efficiently. Defensively, La Roche made enough plays to protect the lead, and offensively, they consistently found ways to apply pressure. The Redhawks weren't just leading—they were dictating the pace.
Then came the fifth inning.
What had been a clean, controlled game quickly unraveled. A mix of hits, defensive errors, and missed opportunities opened the door, and Mount Aloysius took full advantage. Runs began to pile up—first chipping away at the lead, then flipping it entirely. By the time the inning ended, La Roche had gone from ahead 3–0 to trailing 6–3, with several of the runs unearned.
The momentum had completely shifted.
La Roche tried to respond in the sixth, adding a run on a fielder's choice to make it 6–4, but any attempt to regain control was quickly answered. Mount Aloysius responded with power, launching back-to-back home runs to stretch the lead again. From there, the pressure only grew, as additional runs in the seventh and eighth widened the gap.
Despite the score, La Roche didn't stop competing.
Eli Thomas delivered an RBI single in the eighth to plate another run, and the lineup continued to battle through nine innings, finishing with 10 hits on the day. Perez led the way with three hits, while Sallis and Ricky Heyz each contributed key RBIs. There were opportunities throughout—but the middle innings proved too much to overcome.
On the mound, La Roche used multiple arms to try to stop the surge, but Mount Aloysius' offense stayed aggressive, combining timely hitting with power to pull away late.