WINTER HAVEN, Fla- The Pitt-Greensburg baseball team used a five-run fifth inning highlighted by back-to-back- home runs from
Tyler Holland (Pittsburgh, PA, Baldwin) and
Mike Parlak (Connellsville, PA, Connellsville) to record a 6-4 victory over Juniata Wednesday morning.
Playing its final of seven games in sunny Florida, Pitt-Greensburg ended the trip in stylish fashion as Holland smacked a grand slam for his second round-tripper of the season and Parklak followed with a solo bomb to complete the five-run fifth and send the Bobcats on their way to victory.
Brandon Hoener (Pittsburgh, PA, Plum) was excellent on the mound once again for the Bobcats in his second start of the season, tossing seven strong innings, allowing three earned runs and struck out five to move to 2-0 on the season.
Juniata cut the lead to 6-4 with a run in the seventh inning, but the Bobcats went to their bullpen to close the game out.
Brett Dadig (Pittsburgh, PA, Seton-La Salle) came on to toss the eighth inning and the senior hurler allowed just two hits in the inning and
Austin Berger (Canonsburg, Pa, Canon-McMillan) was called on to pitch the ninth, which he did not allow a hit and ended the game on a strikeout to earn his second save of the season.
Mike Spadafore (New Freedom, PA, Susquehannock) and
Ryan Dodson (Bethel Park, PA, Davis & Elkins) each collected two hits in the game and the Bobcats as a team, scored nine runs on eight hits.
???????Juniata jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after two innings as they took advantage of two Pitt-Greensburg errors to plate three runs on just two hits.
The Bobcats got a run back in the third as Spadafore touched home plate. Pitt-Greensburg would come alive in the fifth inning as all nine players came to the plate.
Patrick Aul (Pittsburg, Pa, CCAC South) drew a walk to start off the inning and both Dodson and Pounds reached base to load the bags full of Bobcats. Dodson walked and Pounds reached first on a fielders choice. Next up was Holland, and he sent a long fly ball over the fence to clear the bases and send all four runs across home plate. Parlak followed up with a solo-bomb to complete the five-run explosion in the fifth.
???????Hoener threw seven strong innings tossing 99 pitchers, 74 of which were strikes and Dadig and Berger came on to shut the Eagles out in the eighth and ninth and send the Bobcats back home to Pittsburgh with a win.
The Bobcats return to the diamond Saturday, when they play host to Cabrini at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m.
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