Panthers Drop Pair to Mounties

Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team hosted AMCC foe Mount Aloysius in a conference doubleheader that was rescheduled from earlier this season on Sunday. The Panthers had a comeback come up short in game one, falling 5-3, and lost a back and forth affair in the nightcap with a 12-9 final score.

Game 1:

The Panthers fell behind the Mounties early in the opener, and despite a late home run, were unable to catch the visitors, falling 5-3.

• Mount Aloysius scored one run in the first off of starting pitcher Reid Tarnowski, who came into the game on 3 days' rest. After the Mounties put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, Tarnowski induced an infield fly but saw a grounder squeak by Kevin Rehak up the middle which allowed the opening run to score. 
• The Panthers were able to strike back immediately, scoring one of their own in the bottom half. Kevin Rehak started the game with a single up the middle and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. He scored a batter later when Justin Dattoli lined a two-out single down the right-field line. Noah Meyers was able to follow this with a single of his own, moving Dattoli to third, but the Panthers were unable to get another hit to bring him in.
• Mount Aloysius came right back in the second and regained the lead on another two-out hit. This time a timely double down the right-field line allowed the run to score.
• The Mounties retired the next six straight Panther batters, as Tarnowski was also able to put up a 1-2-3 inning in the third. The Mounties threatened to score in the fourth as they put runners on 1st and second on a single and a hit batter, But Tarnowski was able to get a chopper to third where Dattoli fielded the ball, stepped on the base, and fired across the diamond for the inning-ending double play.
• The visitors added to their lead in the 5th, as Tarnowski loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a hit batter. He was able to get a fly out to right field, bringing in a run on the sacrifice, but the ball was dropped on the transfer from glove to throwing hand, which allowed a second runner who had also tagged up to score. Tarnowski struck out the next batter to end the threat.
• Pitt-Bradford was set down in order in the 5th and allowed the Mounties to tack on an insurance run in the 6th. Tarnowski allowed a one-out triple to the gap in right-center and then induced another sacrifice fly, which brought in the 5th Mountie run.
• Pitt-Bradford was able to put together three hits in the 6th, but a double play after the first stymied the rally. 
• Tarnowski was able to post one final zero in the 7th, working around a pair of singles to complete his scoreline.
• The Panthers came to the plate in the 7th needing four runs to extend the game. They were able to cut the lead in half quickly, as pinch hitter Bret Babcock lined a single to left before Kevin Rehak drilled a long home run to left. The home run led to a pitching change for Mount Aloysius, who was able to get the second out of the inning on an immediate strikeout. Evan Fragela was able to extend the game, reaching on an infield single to bring Dattoli, the tying run to the plate. Dattoli was able to make solid contact on the ball but hit a sharp grounder right at the second baseman to end the game.

Reid Tarnowski (2-5 picked up the loss after allowing 5 runs, 4 earned in a complete-game effort. He gave up 12 hits and hit three batters, but walked 0. He finished with 2 strikeouts. Kevin Rehak was the offensive star of the game as he finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 driven in on his 3rd home run of the season. Evan Fragela and Noah Meyers also had a pair of hits each.

Game 2:

The nightcap was a back and forth affair that saw the lead six times, with the Mounties ultimately coming out on top 12-9. 

• The Mounties struck first, jumping out to a 3-0 lead over the first two innings. In the first, the visitors put runners on first and third with a one-out walk, followed by a single to center that resulted in the Mounties having runners on the corner. Starting pitcher Alex Miles was able to get a ground ball to short, however, the run scored, while the Panthers were unable to make an out on the play. Miles was able to step up after the error, striking out the next two batters to strand two runners on base.
• They struck again quickly for two more in the 2nd. They once again put runners on the corner, using a double to right and a single through the left side. Miles was able to stave off the rally, as he fielded a safety squeeze bunt and threw out the lead runner at home. He got the next batter to fly out to center but then walked the bases loaded and gave up a ground ball single up the middle to score two runs.
• Pitt-Bradford was able to battle back in the bottom of the 2nd, using a pir of two-out singles to tie the game at three. Justin Dattoli drew a leadoff walk and moved to second when Noah Meyers singled through the right side. After a sacrifice bunt, Bret Babcock hit a hard grounder to second base, which brought in the first run. Following a David Gebhard walk, Jake Soricone lined a single to right-center, bringing in one run and sending Gebhard to third. In the next at-bat, Kevin Rehak dropped a single into right field to bring in the third run of the frame.
• Miles recorded an important shutdown inning in the third, erasing an error in the infield with one out by inducing a 4-4-3 inning-ending double play. He was rewarded in the next inning, as the Panthers took their first lead of the day. Dattoli reached on an error with one out before Noah Meyers hit a hard line drive to left field that carried over the fence for a two-run home run. It was Meyers' 4th this season.
• Miles kept the Panthers off the board in the 4th, but after the Panthers were also blanked in the inning, surrendered the lead back to the Mounties in the 5th. He got off to a rough start in the inning, giving up two singles before recording an out, and also saw the runners move up a base on a passed ball. After fielding a soft comebacker to the mound, Miles gave up a home run on a high fly ball down the left-field line, giving the Mounties a 6-5 lead. He recovered after the home run, retiring the next two batters to end the frame.
• The Panthers came right back in their half of the 5th, as they erased and regained the lead with two runs in the inning. Nico Hall led off the frame with a home run to left field, the first of his collegiate career. Evan Fragela followed the blast with a sharp single to right field to chase the Mountie starting pitcher. He moved to second as Dattoli reached on an error for the second consecutive time, and then scored to put the Panthers back in front as Meyers grounded a single through the left side. The Panthers looked poise to add more, as they had scored two runs without recording an out, but the Mount Aloysius reliever settled down and got out of the inning with a strikeout, popup to 2nd, and a grounder back to the mound. 
• The Panther lead did not last long once again, as Mount Aloysius came right back with another two runs to restore their advantage. Miles allowed a leadoff double and after a grounder, saw the lead disappear on a single through the right side. As the inning continued, a runner reached on an error in the infield to put two runners on base. Following an infield fly, Miles gave up one final hit, a single up the middle, which put the Mounties up 8-7. He was relieved by Shawn Mannering after the hit, who threw one pitch in the inning and induced a groundout to end the frame.
• Pitt-Bradford got Miles off the hook immediately in the 6th, as they scored one run on three hits to tie the game up at 8. Jake Soricone registered his third hit of the afternoon as he led off the inning with a double to right-center. He moved to third on a bunt single by Kevin Rehak and then scored on a Fragela single to left.
• Mannering returned to the mound in the 7th and was able to record a shutdown inning, getting three quick outs to get the Panther offense back in the dugout.
• They quickly took the lead one more time in the 7th. Tyler Aires grounded a leadoff double down the line and then was able to score as Bret Babcock dropped down a sacrifice bunt, and reached base as the throw was up the line. The Panthers used another sacrifice bunt to move Babcock into scoring position, but they were unable to come up with another hit to bring him in.
• Mannering came back out for his second full inning of work in the 8th but did not repeat the success he had in the 7th. He walked the leadoff batter and then gave up a single through the right side to put runners on first and second. In the next at-bat, Mannering was unable to come up with a sacrifice bunt clean, loading the bases. He was chased from the game a batter later when he gave up a single through the left side to score two runs.
• He was replaced by Trent Bielak, who worked to put out the remaining threat. One inherited runner was able to score right away as Bieleak got an out on a run-scoring fielder's choice to begin his outing. He then got out of the inning with a line out to right and a strikeout.
• In the bottom half, the Panthers looked to cut into the lead as Nico Hall led off the frame with a singe and then moved to second on a wild pitch. He moved to third as Fragela flew out to right, but was unable to score as the next two batters were retired on a popup in the infield and a fly ball down the right-field line.
• In the 9th, the Mounties tacked on an additional run on a two-out solo shot to right. Needing three scores to extend the game in the 9th, the Panthers were able to put on one runner due to a Mountie error, but Jake Soricone sharply lined out to right, bringing the game to a close.

Relief pitcher Shawn Mannering (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing the go-ahead run to score. He threw 1.1 innings, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned on 2 hits, and a walk. Starter Alex Miles got a no-decision after allowing 8 runs, 7 earned, on 11 hits, and 2 walks in 5.2 innings pitched. He struck out four. Trent Bielak allowed one run in two innings of work.

Offensively, the Panthers pounded out 14 hits, as three different players finished with 3 each. Noah Meyers was 3 for 5 with a home run, two runs scored, and 3 RBIs. Nico Hall also went 3 for 5 with a home run, but scored 1 run and had 1 driven in. Jake Soricone was the final Panther to post a 3-hit game as he went 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. Kevin Rehak and Evan Fragela also had multi-hit games with one RBI.

The Panthers fall to 11-21 overall with a 4-10 record in AMCC play. They have one final AMCC doubleheader remaining, which has not yet been fina