Houghton, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team returned to action after their Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach on Thursday, dropping a pair of tight games at Houghton. The Panthers lost the opener 4-2, and then had a late comeback fall short, falling in game two 8-6.
Game 1:
The opening game of the day was a pitcher's duel that finished 5 innings tied at 2. In the 6th, the hosts scored twice and then shut down the Panthers in the 7th to secure the win.
Jake Sherdel started for the Panthers and fell behind after Pitt-Bradford went down in order in the first. He induced a double play to erase a leadoff hit, but after an error in the infield extended the inning, allowed back-to-back hits to allow an unearned run to score. He was able to exit the inning without further damage after a strikeout.
Following a quiet 2nd, the Panthers rallied to tie the game in the top of the 3rd. Noah Avey led off with a single to right, and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Alex OGnen singled to center to put runners on the corners before Aiden Zimmerman lined a single to left to tie the game. Houghton touched up Sherdel to go back ahead in the bottom of the inning, following a 1-out walk with a double to left to drive in the run.
Pit-Bradford rallied in their next at-bat and tied the game up in the 4th. Blake Prestash drew a walk with one out and then moved to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Alex Colwell brought him in, dropping a single into left center. Sherdel posted an important shutdown inning in the bottom half, working around an error to keep the Highlanders off the board.
In the 6th, the Panthers put the leadoff batter on with an error, but were not able to take the lead as a double-play ended the inning. Collin Porter replaced Sherdel to start the 6th and ran into trouble, walking the leadoff batter. Porter got the next two batters on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, but could not escape the jam as a single found the hole in the right side to put Houghton ahead. The batter moved to second on the throw home on the play, and then doubled the lead when he scored on another single to right.
Colwell led off the 7th and reached on an error, but was quickly erased as the Panthers grounded into their 3rd double play of the game. The game ended a batter later on a grounder to short.
Collin Porter (1-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing 2 runs on 2 hits in 1 inning pitched. Jacob Sherdel pitched 5 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 5 hits. He struck out 7. Pitt-Bradford mustered 5 hits I the loss, with no Panther recording a multi-hit game. Aiden Zimmerman and Alex Colwell both had RBI singles.
Game 2:
In the nightcap, the Panthers fell behind early and saw a late comeback fall short as they left 11 runners on base, falling 8-6.
Joe Long started for the Panthers and had a dominant first inning after the Panthers went down in order to start the game. He induced a foulout to third and then struck out a pair to post the 1-2-3 inning.
Pitt-Bradford loaded the bases in the second with a Trent Bielak single and walks by Alex Colwell and Levi Laser, but left them full when the inning ended on a strikeout. The hosts also loaded the bases to start the second, but unlike the Panthers, took advantage and scored 4 times. Long hit the leadoff batter and then gave up a single to right and a bunt hit. He allowed the first run to score on a wild pitch, and then allowed a single to center to bring in two more. three wild pitches and a strikeout later, the fourth run scored before Long ended the inning.
The Panthers came right back and rallied for 2 runs in the 3rd. Zimmerman beat out an infield single to start the inning and then moved to third on a Seth Helgert single to left. Maxwell Rogers drew a walk to load the bases with no outs, but the next two panthers went down on strikes. Colwell got the Panthers on the board with a walk, and then Helgert scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit in half. Jake Soricone drew another walk to fill the sacks again, but a strikeout ended the threat.
Long retired the leadoff batter with a flyball to right, and then after a walk picked up the second out of the inning with a strikeout. He hit the next batter with a pitch, and was relieved by Brayden Hageter. The righty reliever could not get out of the inning unscathed, allowing the two inherited runners to score on a single to right center and a wild pitch.\
Pitt-Bradford stranded a runner on third in the 4th before the Highlanders tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half. Hageter allowed a leadoff single before retiring two straight. He induced a ground ball to get out of the frame, but Bielak couldn't scoop out a low throw at first, allowing the runner to score and put Houghton ahead 7-2.
The Panthers put together a big rally in the 5th, scoring 4 times to cut the deficit down to one. Bielak led off with a single, and then moved to third when Prestash doubled to right center. Alex Colwell brought in the first run on a fielder's choice that saw Prestash thrown out at third. The Panthers loaded the bases with a Soricone walk and a Laser single to right before Alan Compres drove a 2-run single into right center. With runners on the corners, Zimmerman beat a relay throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play and bring in Laser.
Hageter made quick work of the Highlanders in the 5th, working around a leadoff walk to post a shutdown inning. The Panthers couldn't take advantage of the momentum in the 6th, only mustering a 2 out walk.
Maddox Stadler replaced Hageter to start the bottom of the 6th, and promptly retired the first two batters he faced. He nearly ended the inning a batter later, but an error extended the frame. After a stolen base put the runner in scoring position, a single slipped up the middle to bring in the run and put the Highlanders ahead by 2.
Compres drew a one-out walk in the 7th, but the game quickly ended as the next two batters grounded into forceouts at 2nd to end the game.
Joe Long (1-1) was credited with the loss after allowing 6 earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched. He struck out 5. Brayden Hageter pitched 2.1 innings in relief, and allowed 1 unearned run on 2 hits and a walk. He struck out three. Maddox Stadler had an effective season debut, allowing 1 unearned run on 1 hit in an inning pitched. Alex Colwell finished the day 0-1 but drew 3 walks and drove in a pair of runs for Pitt-Bradford. Alan Compres drove in 2 with a single, while Aiden Zimmermand and Trent Bielak each had a pair of hits in the loss.
The sweep drops the Panthers to 7-5 on the season. They will return to action on Thursday, March 20th, when they head to Waynesburg for a doubleheader against the Yellowjackets. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
