BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team (9-16, 4-6), picked up its first sweep of the season, defeating D'Youville (2-21, 2-8) in both games of an AMCC doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo.
The Panthers won the opener, 3-1, and then captured a 6-2 victory in the finale.
"We received two solid performances on the mound today, from Hougue and Beimel," said Pitt-Bradford head coach Bret Butler. "Defensively, we weren't as sharp as we should be and did not take care of the ball the way we need to. But, we needed the AMCC sweep to stay in the playoff hunt and the guys pulled it off."
Jay Clinger led the Panther's offense with three hits while Dalton Renn drove in two runs and Pat James drove in another. Sawyer Packard, Jean Turber and Brock Blovsky added one hit each in the victory.
Matt Hogue picked up the win with a complete game (seven inning) effort on the bump, striking out six while allowing one run on five hits.
Despite dropping the game, the Spartans struck first on a Matt Critelli RBI groundout in the bottom of the second. Dylan Haak came home to score after tripling earlier in the inning.
The Panther's offense awoke in the top of the sixth, scoring all three of their runs in one inning. Packard led off the inning with a single to left and then Clinger came up and laid down a drag bunt and was safe at first with no throw. Renn then came up and cleared the bases with a triple to the centerfield wall. The Spartans got back to back strikeouts, but couldn't strand Renn at third as James ripped a single to right, giving the Panthers the 3-1 lead, and eventually the win.
Kevin Sompel and Packard led the Panthers at the plate with three hits and one RBI each in the finale Renn added two hits and Keagen Goodliff, Josh Zielinski, Jacob Rivers and Clinger had one hit each in the victory in game two.
Justin Beimel was outstanding on the mound, allowing just one earned run on seven hits while striking out six in a complete game effort.
The Panthers got out to a fast start in game two, taking a 2-0 lead on Packard's sacrifice fly and Renn's RBI single to left in the top of the first.
The Spartans got one back when Travis Macrides scored on a Nick Stimpfel sacrifice fly in the home half.
The Panthers got the run right back, extending their lead to 3-1 on Sompel's RBI double to the left field wall in the top of the second.
Pitt-Bradford opened things up in the top of the fourth on a Packard RBI double to left-center and a Clinger sacrifice fly, making it a 5-1 ballgame.
James then added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to cap the Panther's scoring in the game.
The Spartans got one back in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't come any closer, as the Panthers hung on for the 6-2 victory to complete the sweep.
It's a quick turnaround for the Panthers, as they return to action Wednesday afternoon at two for a non-conference doubleheader against Keuka College at the Kessel Athletic Complex.
