Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team returned to action on their Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach, taking on Elmira in a pair of 7-inning games. The Panthers dominated game one, tallying 22 hits on the way to a 15-4 win, and then after losing the lead in the 6th in game 2, fell just short of a comeback, losing 7-6.
Game 1:
The opener started slow as the Panthers stranded Maxwell Rogers on first after a single, and starting pitcher Collin Porter made quick work of the Soaring Eagles, keeping the game scoreless through one.
Pitt-Bradford opened the scoring in the 2nd. Blake Prestash led off with a double off the wall in center and then Alex Colwell beat out an infield single. A batter later, Noah Avey hit a triple down the right field line to bring in both runners. Trey Ayers followed with an RBI single to center, putting the Panthers ahead 3-0. Porter got the first two outs of the bottom half of the inning but ran into trouble after an error with two outs. The next batter drove a double into the gap to score the first run, and then got caught in a rundown. The Panthers made another error on the play, throwing the ball out of play, which allowed the 2nd run to score.
The Panthers took momentum right back in the next frame. Rogers registered his second hit of the game and then Trent Bielak followed with a long home run to dead center. The Blast was the first of Bielak's season and career. Porter posted a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the bottom half, sending the offense right back into he dugout with momentum. Pitt-Bradford added to their lead in the 4th on a Seth Helgert RBI single.
Porter struck out the side in the 4th and then was rewarded with another crooked number in the 5th. Prestash led off with a single before Colwell reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt, Noah Avey drove a ground-rule double to right center to bring in both runs. He came around to score a batter later when Ayers hit the second straight ground-rule double. Porter ran into trouble in the bottom half of the inning. The leadoff batter reached on an error in the outfield, and then after a strikeout, Porter allowed 3 singles and a walk, which resulted in 2 Elmira runs. He was able to settle down after the 2nd run scored and struck out the next two batters.
Pitt-Bradford grabbed the momentum right back in the 6th, scoring six times to put the game out of reach. Bielak started the inning with a single to center before the Panthers loaded the bases with two more hits. Braden Meadows cleared the bags a batter later, doubling down the right field line. Avey followed and tallied his third extra-base hit of the day with a double down the line. After a strikeout, Tim Beimel put an exclamation point on the inning, crushing a two-run blast over the wall in right center, putting the Panthers ahead 15-4. The blast was Beimel's first as a Panther.
Porter allowed two runners to reach base in the bottom of the sixth, but escaped the inning without any damage. In the 7th, Pitt-Bradford loaded the bases before an out could be recorded, but saw the rally come to a fast end after a double play and a groundout. Ethan Zimmerman replaced Porter in the 7th and retired the side to end the game.
Collin Porter (1-0) lasted 6.0 innings, allowing 4 runs, 1 earned, on 5 hits. He struck out 8 batters. Ethan Zimmerman pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, recording one strikeout. Offensively, Pitt-Bradford pounded out 22 hits. All 9 starters recorded hits, led by Blake Prestash, who finished 5 for 5 with 3 runs scored. Noah Avey was the Panthers' biggest run producer, finishing 3 for 5 with 3 extra-base hits, 3 runs scored and 5 RBI. Tim Beimel and Trent Bielak both finished 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBI.
Game 2:
The second game of the double dip started with another scoreless first, with starter Brayden Hageter setting down the side in order in the top of the first, and the Panthers leading two runners aboard after a pair of walks in their side of the inning.
Hageter loaded the bases with a walk and two hit batters in the 2nd, but escaped the jam with a strikeout. Pitt-Bradford rallied with two outs in the bottom of the inning, scoring twice to jump into the lead. Colwell led off with a single to center and stole second. After Logan McConnell was hit by a pitch, Grant Casses laid down a well-placed bunt and beat the throw to first for a single. Following a strikeout, Tim Johnson lined a single into right field to open the scoring. Seth Helgert followed with an RBI groundout, putting the Panthers up two.
In the third, Hageter made quick work of the Soaring Eagles, inducing three quick fly balls to get back into the dugout. Colwell reached on an infield single in the Panther half of the frame, but was left on base when the inning ended a batter later. Hageter allowed a pair of singles in the 4th, but got out of the inning with a double play on an infield fly. Pitt-Bradford rallied in the subsequent inning, doubling their advantage with two more runs. Casses led off and was hit by a pitch, and then Jake Soricone and Johnson each singled to load the bases with no outs recorded. The rally was slowed when Helgert grounded into a run-scoring double play and then pushed the lead to 4 with an RBI single by Maxwell Rogers.
After neither team reached base in the 5th, things fell apart for Pitt-Bradford in the 6th. Hageter walked the leadoff batter of the frame, and then allowed a home run to right center to cut the Panther advantage in half. He induced a fly ball for the first out of the inning, but was lifted from the game after walking the next batter. Hageter was replaced by Nick Manee, who was making his Pitt-Bradford debut. He was not able to record an out, allowing a double and a home run to put the Panthers behind. After allowing another single, he was relieved by left-handed reliever Branson Scarantine. The new arm was also greeted rudely, as the first batter Scarantne faced homered to center field, pushing the deficit to 3. He allowed two more runners to reach on a single and an error, but settled down and stranded two runners in scoring position after ending the frame with a fly out.
Pitt-Bradford got one of the runs back immediately when Soricone homered to left center with one out in the frame. It was the first of his career. In the 7th, Scarantine walked the first two batters and was replaced by Garrett Smith. Smith got some help from his defense to end the threat. Catcher Logan McConnell picked off the runner at first base to get the initial out of the inning and then Johnson made a play in center and doubled off the runner at 2nd to quickly finish the inning.
Needing two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th, Pitt-Bradford rallied. Bielak was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then after a fly ball, the Panthers loaded the bases with an error and a walk. After a pitching change, Alan Compres pinch hit for Casses. He battled in the at bat, running the count full, but struck out swinging for the 2nd out. Soricone cut the deficit in half, drawing a walk to start the merry-go-round and bring in the Panthers' 6th run. With the tying run 90 feet from he plate, Johnson went down looking to end the game.
Nick Manee (0-1) got the loss after allowing 3 earned runs without recording an out. Brayden Hageter had a solid start for Pitt-Bradford, allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in 5.1 innings pitched. He struck out 2. Branson Scarantine pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed 2 earned run, while Garrett Smith was credited with a scoreless inning pitched. Jake Soricone was the offensive star for the Panthers, finishing 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBI, and a home run. Tim Johnson and Alex Colwell each had multi-hit games in the loss.
The Panthers are 5-2 after the split doubleheader. They will be back in action tomorrow afternoon, as they play a single 9-inning game against Neumann at the Ripken Experience's Polo Grounds. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
