GREENSBURG, Pa: The Pitt-Greensburg baseball team fell in both games of Saturday's nonconference doubleheader against Case Western. Despite holding leads in both contests, the Bobcats were narrowly edged 4-3 in the eleven inning opener and by a 14-6 score in the nightcap.
With Saturday's results Pitt-Greensburg drops to 7-8 on the season while the Spartans slide up to 10-9.
Game One:
After a shutout top of the first by starter Joe Zufall (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park), the Bobcats jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Dylan Pounds (Houston, PA, Chartiers-Houston) RBI-single that scored Chris Common (Trafford, PA, Penn-Trafford). They'd double their lead one inning later on a Common one-run single that brought Mike Spadafore (New Freedom, PA, Susquehannock) in from second for the 2-0 advantage.
The Spartans responded with a pair of third-inning runs to knot things up at 2-2. The score remained the same until the top of the fifth, with Case Western capturing the lead 3-2 after a Bobcat balk gave the visitors the go-ahead run.
A Matt Moyer (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth inning brought the Bobcats back to even at 3-3 and set the stage for a four inning stalemate that wouldn't be broken until the top of the eleventh. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, Case Western would take a 4-3 lead in the eleventh inning while UPG ended up empty handed, despite loading the bases in the bottom of the inning.
The Bobcats notched seven hits in the opener with Common and Pounds each finishing 2-5 with a RBI. Common would also add a run scored.
Zufall struck out six in the start and allowed three runs, two earned on five hits in five innings of work. Cam Smith (Mars, PA, Mars Area) went the next three innings, shutting out the Spartans and striking out three batters. Mike Parlak (Connellsville, PA, Connellsville) made his way to the mound next, facing two batters before making way for Pounds. Pounds (1-1) struck out three, but earned the loss despite allowing one run on just one hit in the final three innings.
Game Two:
For the second straight game, Pitt-Greensburg jumped out to the early lead. A Pounds RBI-single and subsequent error on the Spartan shortstop in the bottom of the first placed UPG atop a 2-0 lead. Matt Germanoski (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City) followed with a one-run single to score Ryan Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park) one batter later moving the Bobcat advantage to 3-0 heading into the second inning.
Case Western answered with a second-inning run followed by three in the third to take a 4-3 lead. They'd add two more in the fourth to move the margin to 6-3 but prompt a response from the Bobcats in the bottom of the inning.
Germanoski and Moyer would reach base safely and get slid to second and third with a well-executed sacrifice bunt by Zack Zimmerman (Derry, PA, Derry) Two batters later, Greg Lynn (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City) cleared the bases with a three-run homer that scored his fellow seniors with him and tied the game at 6-6.
A scoreless fifth, sixth, and seventh inning would follow, but an eight-run eighth by the visitors would seal the Bobcats fate. UPG was held scoreless over the final two innings, eventually falling by the 14-6 final.
Pitt-Greensburg increased their hit total to eleven in the nightcap with Germanoski going 3-4 with a run and RBI. Pounds would also tally three hits and a RBI while Lynn's homerun notched him a team-high three RBI's, rounding out his 2-3 performance.
Bill Minnick (West Mifflin, PA, West Mifflin) got the start for Pitt-Greensburg, going three innings and allowing six runs, three earned on eight hits while striking out three. Adam Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park) stepped in for the next and was impressive, holding Case hitless and striking out four in the 3.2 inning appearance. Parlak (0-1) picks up the loss after getting touched up a bit in the eighth for six runs, four earned. Cohl Gibbs (Williamstown, NJ, Williamstown) finished out the eighth before making way for Ian Hart (Lititz, PA, Warwick) to hold the Spartans without a hit in the ninth inning.
The Bobcats are back in action on Monday when Bethany College travels to Greensburg for a 3:00pm nonconference contest at Bobcat Park.
