The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg baseball team wrapped up its Florida trip on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Drew in Auburndale. The Bobcats were held to two hits in the opener before responding with an 11-hit effort in game two, but ultimately dropped both contests to the Rangers.
Game 1 – Drew 9, Pitt-Greensburg 0
Drew struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on a leadoff bunt single and a sacrifice to move the runner into scoring position. A two-out error allowed the Rangers to plate the game's first run and take an early lead.
The Bobcats created their best scoring opportunity in the fourth inning.
Tommy Smith started the rally with a single to right field, and
Josh Preston followed with a double to left that moved Smith to third. After
Nicholas Laubach worked a walk to load the bases with two outs, Drew escaped the jam with a flyout to right to keep Pitt-Greensburg off the board.
Pitt-Greensburg pitching kept the game within reach into the middle innings, but Drew broke things open in the sixth. After loading the bases, the Rangers forced in a run with a hit-by-pitch before a three-run single up the middle extended the lead. Another run scored on a throwing error during the inning, as Drew plated seven runs in the frame to take control of the game.
The Rangers added one more run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to close out the scoring. Smith and Preston accounted for the Bobcats' two hits in the contest, with Preston's double marking the only extra-base hit for Pitt-Greensburg.
Game 2 – Drew 9, Pitt-Greensburg 7
Pitt-Greensburg jumped out to an early lead in the second game of the day.
Ben Aftanas opened the game with a single, and
Colby Rearick followed with a bunt single to put runners on the corners. An error allowed the first run to score before
Tommy Smith drove in Rearick with an RBI single to center to give the Bobcats a 2–0 advantage.
Drew got on the board in the second inning and then moved in front during the fourth. A sacrifice bunt tied the game before an RBI single and a stolen home helped the Rangers build a 4–2 lead.
The Bobcats answered in the fifth.
Neo Miller doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a balk. After a passed ball tied the game,
Colin Solinski delivered an RBI single to center that put Pitt-Greensburg back in front 5–4.
Drew responded in the bottom of the fifth, capitalizing on defensive miscues to plate three unearned runs and regain the lead. The Rangers added another unearned run in the sixth to stretch the advantage to 8–5.
Pitt-Greensburg mounted one final rally in the seventh. Rearick singled to start the inning and Smith was hit by a pitch before
Josh Preston reached on an error to bring home a run.
William Somers followed with an RBI single to center to cut the deficit to one, but Drew recorded the final outs to secure the 9–7 win.
Aftanas and Rearick each finished with two hits to lead the Bobcats offensively, while Smith went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Solinski also recorded two hits and drove in a run as Pitt-Greensburg totaled 11 hits in the contest.
Pitt-Greensburg now returns north following the completion of its Florida trip and will travel to Penn College for a doubleheader on Sunday
