FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team continued action in the Gene Cusic Classic with a 2-1 walk-off, 10-inning victory against Rockford Saturday.
With the victory, Pitt-Bradford improves to 7-3 so far this season and moves to 4-3 so far during its nine-game slate in Florida.
"Bacha threw the ball very well today," Head Coach Zach Foster said. "He mixed well and had a solid plan. Our bats have struggled the last couple games. I think if we can get back to our identity, we will be dangerous at the plate. Very proud of how the guys battled and won today."
Tied 1-1 and coming off a 45-minute rain delay at the start of the 10th inning, Matt LaBadie worked a one-out walk and Samuel Dreistadt doubled.
Later with two down and the bases loaded, Robert Sawicki grounded one to third but the throw pulled the first baseman off the base and LaBadie came home to score the go-ahead run for the win.
Pitt-Bradford scored the first run of the ballgame in the fourth inning as Austin Parent singled and later scored on a base knock form Jake McNabb.
Andrew Bacha started for the Panthers and tossed seven scoreless innings while striking out six before exiting with two runners on in the eighth.
Nate Renick came on in relief and a bouncing ball up the middle allowed Rockford to tie the game at 1-1.
After a baserunning error and a flyout, the Panthers escaped the eighth still tied.
In the ninth, as the rain began to fall, Kevin Rehak worked a one-out walk but was picked off to end the Panthers' threat in the ninth.
As soon as Benjamin Hayes picked up the ball at the top of the tenth, the umpires ruled the field unsafe and the tarps came out for 45 minutes.
Hayes, who picked up the win to improve to 1-0, later worked a 1-2-3 10th to set up for the Panthers' offensive rally.
Tyler Hoops and Dreistadt both singled and doubled to lead the Panther offense.
The Panther pitching and defense left nine Rockford runners stranded on base.
Up next, Pitt-Bradford will wrap up its Florida trip with a doubleheader against Bethany Sunday starting at 9 a.m. at Terry Park.
