Pitt-Greensburg's season came to an end Friday at the AMCC Tournament after the Bobcats dropped a pair of games at Sargent's Stadium, falling 6-4 to Penn State Behrend before suffering a 6-3 loss to Alfred State in an elimination game later in the day.
Behrend Uses Late Rally to Defeat Bobcats
Pitt-Greensburg erased a three-run deficit with a clutch sixth inning rally in the opener, but Penn State Behrend answered late to hand the Bobcats a 6-4 loss Friday morning.
The Lions struck first in the second inning when Adam Cooper delivered a sacrifice fly to score David Gibson for a 1-0 lead. Pitt-Greensburg answered in the third as William Somers singled and later scored on an RBI base hit from Tommy Smith to tie the game at 1-1.
Behrend regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning after Spencer Deitz doubled and Dylan Barnes followed with an RBI single through the left side. The Lions added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI sacrifice bunt by Thomas Nicely and an RBI double from Gibson to stretch the advantage to 4-1.
The Bobcats responded with their biggest inning of the game in the sixth. Josh Preston tripled to open the frame and scored on a Jonah Marks groundout. Later in the inning, Hunter Gideons singled and Neo Miller walked before Somers delivered a two-run double to left-center to tie the contest at 4-4.
Pitt-Greensburg threatened to take the lead in the seventh after Tommy Smith and Colin Solinski opened the inning with back-to-back singles, but Behrend escaped the jam with a double play and strikeout.
The Lions broke through in the eighth inning when Cooper doubled and Jake Federouch singled to put runners on the corners. Deitz followed with a bunt single to plate the go-ahead run before Tyler Burick added an RBI single to make it 6-4.
Somers led the offense in the opener, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBI and a double. Smith added two hits and an RBI, while Preston collected two hits, including a triple. Gideons also recorded two hits in the loss.
Late Rally Ends Bobcats' Season Against Alfred State
Facing elimination in the afternoon contest, Pitt-Greensburg carried a late lead into the ninth inning before Alfred State rallied for four runs to claim a 6-3 victory and end the Bobcats' season.
The Bobcats jumped ahead early in the second inning. Jonah Marks singled and Colby Rearick followed with a bunt single before Hunter Gideons lined an RBI single to center field. Somers later added a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 2-0.
Starter JJ Siemon turned in a strong outing, holding Alfred State to two runs across seven innings while working around several scoring threats. The Pioneers cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Matty Eygabroad before tying the game in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Christian Morrison.
Pitt-Greensburg answered immediately in the bottom of the seventh. Somers singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Tommy Smith reached on a single. Another wild pitch allowed Somers to score the go-ahead run and put the Bobcats back in front, 3-2.
After a scoreless eighth inning from Tommy Butts, Alfred State mounted the decisive rally in the ninth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Frank Grad ripped a bases-clearing double down the right field line to give the Pioneers the lead. Alfred State added another run on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 6-3.
Pitt-Greensburg brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth after James Domer singled, but Alfred State reliever Braylon Connell closed out the game to secure the win.
Somers again paced the Bobcats offensively, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jonah Marks added three hits, while Rearick collected two hits. Gideons drove in a run as Pitt-Greensburg totaled 12 hits in the season finale.
