GREENSBURG, PA: The Bobcat baseball team bounced back to .500 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference after a Sunday sweep of the visiting Hilbert Hawks. Pitt-Greensburg held on for a thrilling 7-6 triumph in game one followed by a pull-away 5-1 victory in the nightcap.
With the wins the Bobcats improve to 6-6 in the AMCC and 15-14-1 overall while Hilbert dips to 2-8 in conference play and 5-20 on the year.
Game 1:
The Bobcats would waste little time and use a
Greg Lynn (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City) run in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to the early lead. They'd follow up with two more runs in the second inning, the first coming compliments of a
Tyler Lilja (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) sacrifice fly to score
Anthony Bozzuto (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield).
Matt Moyer (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) would register the inning's second run on a hard hit ball by
Anthony Maroadi (North Huntingdon, PA, Norwin) that forced an error on the Hawk second baseman. After two the Bobcats would now sit atop a 3-0 lead.
Hilbert would get on the board in the top of the fifth to trim the lead to 3-1.
Pitt-Greensburg would answer in the bottom of the inning on a
Chad Jacob (Bridgeville, PA, Chartiers Valley) two-run double to right field to extend the advantage to 5-1.
The Hawks added another run in the top of the sixth inning, but
Dylan Pounds (Houston, PA, Chartiers-Houston) would respond with a two-run homer to right field, scoring Bozzuto in the process and giving UPG a 7-1 lead.
Hilbert would rally in the seventh, scoring four runs, but come up a little short as Pitt-Greensburg moved Pounds to the mound to record the final out for a 7-6 opening game victory.
Pounds picked up the save with
Billy Elliott (Ligonier, PA, Ligonier Valley) earning the win. Elliot would go six innings and allow two runs on three hits while striking out seven before making way for short relief stints by
Joe Stavor (West Mifflin, PA, West Mifflin),
Zach Fodor (West Mifflin, PA, West Mifflin),
Brandon Hoener (Pittsburgh, PA, Plum), and as mentioned above, Pounds.
Jacob, Bozzuto, and Maroadi would all finish 2-3 in the win. Jacob would add a double and a team-high three RBI with Bozzuto also adding a double and a team-high two runs scored. Maroadi also pitched in two stolen bases.
Game 2:Game two would see the Hawks jump out to an early 1-0 lead after an unearned run in the top of the first.
The Bobcats would have to wait until the fifth inning to tie things up thanks to Lilja sacrifice fly that scored Pounds who tripled one batter earlier.
A Pitt-Greensburg rally in the eighth would be just what they needed to break the game open. The Bobcats would plate four runs in the bottom of the inning beginning with Moyer RBI single that once again scored Pounds. A
Mike Maleski (Pittsburgh, PA, Plum) fly out scored Zach Zimmerman next followed by a one-run single by Bozzuto. Jacob would cap the afternoon's scoring with a single to right field that brought in Lynn for the fifth and final run.
That's all the run support Pounds would need. After earning the save in the opener, Pounds would produce a five-hit complete game victory to cap an impressive personal day. From the mound, he'd allow just one run, unearned, on five hits while striking out six Hilbert batters. From the offensive side, Pounds would finish a perfect 3-3 with a double, a triple, and two runs scored to help his cause.
Pitt-Greensburg will have some time to prepare for their final two conference doubleheaders with five days off for finals week. The Bobcats will be back in action on Saturday, April 25
th with a 2:30pm home doubleheader with the Medaille Mavericks.
