Mountain Cats Fall to WV State in WVIAC Tournament Opener

05/06/2010

The Mountain Cats battled back form a six run deficit to tie the game in the eighth inning, but West Virginia State scored four in the bottom of the inning to earn a 14-10 victory in Thursday's WVIAC Tournament opener at Johnstown's Point Stadium.  Zach Martin (Irwin, Pa.) had two hits and drove in three to lead Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain Cats, 28-17, will play Alderson-Broaddus (WV) College in an elimination game on Friday at noon.
     The Mountain Cats jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the first.  Matt Staub (Latrobe, Pa.) reached on a two-out error, and Martin followed with a RBI double off the left center field wall.
     West Virginia State answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on a long homerun to center off the bat of Rob Hawkins.
     Pitt-Johnstown tied it in the second.  Justin Demek (Cabot, Pa.) singled and Matt Whiteman (North Huntingdon, Pa.) doubled, before Jeff Campbell's (Brackenridge, Pa.) infield single scored Demek.
     The Yellow Jackets got three in the bottom of the frame and one each in both the fourth and fifth innings to go up 7-2.
     Martin's solo homer to right center in the sixth but the Mountain Cat deficit to 7-3, but West Virginia State got two in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI double by Jeremy fisher and a run-scoring single by Garret Kiser.
     Pitt-Johnstown answered with five runs in the seventh to cut it to 9-8.  Seth Roy (Bedford, Pa.) belted a two-run homerun over the left field screen, and Nick Barbera's (Harrisburg, Pa.) hit a solo shot to left to make it 9-6.  Drew Westover (Flinton, Pa.) then drove in two with a triple to the gap in right center.
     The Yellow Jackets tacked on an unearned run in their next at-bat to go up 10-8, but the
Mountain Cats completed the comeback to tie it at 10 with a pair of runs in the eighth.
     However, West Virginia State scored four runs on six hits in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away.
     Roy went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, while Martin had two hits, including a homerun, three RBI and two runs.  Barbera and Campbell also had two hits apiece.
     Paul Tunink (Indiana, Pa.) took the loss in relief and fell to 1-2 after giving up four runs on eight hits in two innings.  Drew Shaulis (Somerset, Pa.) got the start and surrendered five runs on seven hits in three innings.
     With the win, West Virginia State improved to 29-12.

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