FORT MYERS, Fla. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team dropped a pair of games against Baldwin Wallace and U.S. Merchant Marine Friday in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
Pitt-Bradford stormed out to an early 5-2 lead against Baldwin Wallace – which received 42 votes and finished two spots outside of the NCAA top 25 in the most recent NCBWA/D3Baseball.com poll (March 6), but the Yellow Jackets would come back and secure the win.
Austin Parent knocked a pair of doubles and drove in two as well as part of a late Panthers' rally effort in game two.
Sawyer Packard delivered three hits and a double in game two as well.
Tyler Hoops and Parent had multi-hit games in both contests.
Game One: Baldwin Wallace 11, Pitt-Bradford 5
The Panthers jumped out to a hot start against Baldwin Wallace.
With Hoops at third, Dalton Renn singled through the left side to bring home the first run of the game.
But Baldwin Wallace would answer with a pair of runs in the second, using a hit and capitalizing on a pair of Panthers fielding errors to take a 2-1 lead.
Pitt-Bradford would bounce back in a big way in the top of the second.
Samuel Dreistadt, Jason Lucarelli and Hoops reached to lead off the frame with no outs.
Sawyer Packard stepped in and delivered the big hit, a two-run double to left center, putting the Panthers back on top 3-2.
A walk to Jay Clinger chased the Baldwin Wallace starter from the game.
Dalton Renn then walked, bringing home Hoops.
Austin Parent later sent home Packard and the Panthers took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the third, Baldwin Wallace worked the bases loaded, but Ryan Boyer struck out the final batter to escape unharmed and preserve the Panthers lead.
However, Baldwin Wallace would get to the Panthers in the bottom of the fourth.
They used six hits to score six runs and open up an 8-5 lead.
Baldwin Wallace would add two in the sixth and one more in the seventh and eventually hold on to win, 11-5.
Hoops and Parent led the way for the Panthers with a pair of hits. Packard, Dalton Renn and Dreistadt had a hit apiece to make up the seven total base knocks.
Boyer started the game on the mound and went 3.2 innings while striking out seven and surrendering seven runs – just for of which earned.
Benjamin Hayes came on in relief and went 2.1 innings, striking out a pair while surrendering three runs.
Sam Gwiazdinski threw the final two innings, allowing one run while striking out one.
Game Two: U.S. Merchant Marine 14, Pitt-Bradford 6
Merchant Marine got off to an early lead with a run in the top of the first.
The Panthers threatened in the second as Parent and Tim Brown singled, but a pair of strikeouts left them stranded.
Merchant Marine later scored three runs each in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, taking a 10-0 lead.
However, the Panthers wouldn't go down easily.
Pitt-Bradford rallied for five runs in the eighth to cut the lead in half, 10-5.
Packard singled home Hoops, and Parent later doubled him home.
Brown reached on a throwing error that sent home Parent and Colin Buckwalter, and he later scored on a wild pitch.
But Merchant Marine would cut down the Panthers' rally as they respond with a four-spot in the ninth.
Pitt-Bradford added a run in the bottom of the ninth as Packard led off the frame with a double and Parent later doubled him home, but Merchant Marine would hang on for the 14-6 win.
Andrew Bacha started the game and went six innings, striking out six and surrendering three earned runs.
Alex Andrzejewski and Nate Renick came on in relief, and Gwiazdinski got the final out for the Panthers.
Today's games wrap up the Panthers action in Florida. Up next, they'll travel to Wilmington (Ohio) for a doubleheader Sunday, March 18.
