Fayetteville, NC: The Pitt-Greensburg baseball team got the 2015 season underway at the Bobcat invitational this weekend. Unfortunately for them, they'd start the season on the wrong end of two defeats at the hands of Ramapo and St. Joseph's College of Maine.
On Friday, the Bobcats would feel the full effects of the lingering rust from a winter of indoor practices in Chamber's Hall. Ramapo seemed to shake the effects and would receive a solid pitching performance from senior starter
Walker Larson. With the solid performance on the mound and plenty of run support, the Roadrunners would go on to blank the Bobcats, 10-0.
23 players would make an appearance in the loss with
Greg Lynn (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City),
Dylan Pounds (Houston, PA, Chartiers-Houston),
Zack Zimmerman (Derry, PA, Derry),
Tyler Lilja (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield),
Matt Germanoski (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City), and
Anthony Bozzuto (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) collecting hits.
Cory Deighan (Bethel Park, PA, Seton-La Salle) would be charged with the loss after lasting three innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits, and striking out three batters.
Brandon Hoener (Pittsburgh, PA, Plum),
Tyler Potutschnig (Flinton, PA, Glendale), and
Joe Stavor (West Mifflin, PA, West Mifflin) would also make appearances on the mound each chipping in with two innings pitched.
Saturday would see the Bobcats plate their first runs of 2015 as the winter rust started to subside. After a
Mike Maleski (Pittsburgh, PA, Plum) single and stolen base opened the third, a Lynn walk would follow. Pounds would then single to left field to load the bases.
Chad Jacob (Bridgeville, PA, Chartiers Valley) would work the St. Joe's pitcher and in the process earn a walk to plate Maleski.
A big fourth inning by the Monks would bring in four more runs, followed by two more in the fifth, and one in the sixth to bring the score to 8-1 in favor of St. Joesephs.
Pitt-Greensburg would wait until the seventh inning to answer. With one out, Lynn would single, followed by a Pounds walk, and a Jacob single that caused issues for the Monk right fielder which allowed Lynn and Pounds to come around and cross home plate.
Two and a half scoreless innings would follow leading to the Bobcats second loss of the young season.
Maleski and Jacob would finish the game 2-4. Maleski would also add one run scored while Jacob tallied a team-high three RBI.
Brandon Rowland (Greensburg, PA, Greensburg Salem) would pick up the loss after going three innings and allowing five runs, only one earned on five hits, and striking out two.
Matt Moyer (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) would give three innings in relief, allowing three runs on three hits also striking out two batters.
Cohl Gibbs (Williamstown, NJ, Williamstown) and
Adam Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park) would close out the game, each pitching in with a scoreless inning in relief.
The Bobcats are right back to action today, facing Frostburg State at 12pm to close out the 2015 Bobcat Invitational.
