GREENSBURG, PA: In a doubleheader battle between the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference's top two teams, little would be decided with La Roche taking the opener 15-6 followed by a dramatic 11-10 Bobcat walk-off win in the nightcap.
The Tuesday split moves the Bobcats to 8-2 in the AMCC and 16-13 overall while the nationally ranked #22 Redhawks slide to a league best 11-1 in conference play and 26-8 on the season.
Game One:
La Roche wasted little time opening the afternoon's scoring with three top of the first inning runs. Pitt-Greensburg answered back in the bottom of the second with a Matt Germanoski (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City) run compliments of an error on the Redhawks' first baseman.
La Roche opened things up in the top of the fourth, adding six runs to slide atop 9-1 advantage. An Adam Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park) one-run double in the bottom of the inning would produce another Pitt-Greensburg run and narrow the deficit to 9-2.
A solo homerun from the Redhawks in the top of the fifth would move the visitors back ahead by eight at 10-2.
The Bobcats got busy in the bottom of the fifth, starting with an Anthony Bozzuto (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) RBI-double that scored Ryan Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park). Back-to-back singles by Germanoski and Matt Moyer (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield) ensued bringing Bozzuto around for UPG's second score of the inning. Zack Zimmerman (Derry, PA, Derry) capped the three-run fifth with a one-run single to bring the Bobcats within five at 10-5.
Germanoski was back at it in the sixth, serving up another RBI-single to move the score to 10-6. Unfortunately for UPG, a five-run seventh by the Redhawks would push the game out of reach and bring us to the 15-6 final score.
Pitt-Greensburg tallied 13 hits in the opener with Germanoski and Moyer leading the charge, each finishing 3-4. Germanoski added a team high two runs scored and a RBI while Moyer notched one in each column himself.
Dylan Pounds (Houston, PA, Chartiers-Houston) is charged with the loss after supplying the game's first three innings. Dakota McWilliams (Connellsville, PA, Connellsville) stepped in for the fourth before handing the ball to Ian Hart (Lititz, PA, Warwick) to pitch out the final three innings.
Game Two:
La Roche picked up where they left off, once again jumping out to an early lead with four runs over the nightcap's first three innings.
Pitt-Greensburg would get on the board in the bottom of the third with a Chris Common (Trafford, PA, Penn-Trafford) double that scored Adam Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Bethel Park) for a 4-1 score in favor of the visitors.
Five Redhawk runs in the top of the fourth would create quite a hole for the Bobcats, but they'd begin their ascent in the bottom of the fifth. Greg Lynn (Ellwood City, PA, Ellwood City) got things going with a one run single that brought Moyer home for run two and left the bases loaded for Common's at bat, and it would not last long. Common pounced on a first pitch fastball, blasting a grandslam over the right field fence to bring the Bobcats within three at 9-6.
Pitt-Greensburg snatched two more runs one inning later, compliments of a Lynn one-run single and a Common RBI double that brought the UPG deficit to just one run at 9-8.
Another Redhawk solo homerun in the seventh would slide the score to 10-8 and after a scoreless eighth and top of the ninth, the Bobcats entered the final half inning still trailing by two.
Mike Parlak (Connellsville, PA, Connellsville) stepped in to pinch hit, leading off with a single to place the first UPG batter aboard. Ryan Dodson reached next with a single, prompting Pitt-Greensburg head coach Anthony Williams to go to Jake Bulick (Sharpsville, PA, Sharpsville)to pinch run for Dodson. A Bozzuto sacrifice bunt slid the runners into scoring position followed by a Germanoski walk to load the bases with just one Bobcat out on the board. Moyer stood strong after falling behind a 0-2 count, earning a walk to push Pitt-Greensburg's ninth run across the plate and set the stage for a potential game winner with Adam Dodson coming to bat. Dodson delivered with a troublesome ball that pulled the Redhawk second baseman towards first, his flip to second would fail, giving Bulick and Germanoski all the time they needed to cross home for the tying and winning runs.
When all the dust was settled, the Bobcats had stormed back from a 9-1 deficit to triumph by the 11-10 score.
After helping himself with the walk-off fielder's choice, Adam Dodson earns the win on the mound. The Bobcat reliever held the Redhawk lineup scoreless over the final 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and striking out one in the victory.
Common came up huge in the nightcap, finishing 3-5 including a double, homerun, one run scored, and an alarming six RBI. Lynn would also make his presence felt with a 3-5 performance including two runs scored and two RBI.
Up next for the Bobcats is a nonconference contest with the College of Wooster. The Fighting Scots will travel to Bobcat Park on Thursday, April 21st for a 4:00pm showdown.
