Mountain Cats Sweep Clarion in Home Opener

03/17/2010

After starting the year with eight games in Florida, the Mountain Cats opened the 2010 home slate at the Point Stadium on Wednesday and used a 13-run first inning to defeat Clarion 14-6 in game one, before completing the sweep with an 8-0 shutout in the nightcap. Dan Mangini (Burrell, Pa.) collected five hits and Zach Martin (Irwin, Pa.) drove in five to help Pitt-Johnstown even its record at 5-5.
In game one, Matt Rossi put the Golden Eagles up 2-0 early with his first of two two-run homeruns over the left field screen. However, the Mountain Cats answered in a big way in the bottom of the first. Pitt-Johnstown sent 18 men to the plate and scored 13 runs. Justin Demek (Cabot, Pa.), Seth Roy (Bedford, Pa.), Mangini and Andy Rubal (Johnstown, Pa.) had two RBI each in the inning.
Clarion made it 13-4 on Rossi's second homer of the game and added another in the fourth inning, but it never got any closer.
Mangini went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, while Matt Staub (Latrobe, Pa.) had two hits, a pair of RBI and three runs for Pitt-Johnstown. Roy drove in three and Nick Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa.) had two RBI.
Cody Reighard (Salix, Pa.) pitched two innings in relief of starter Alex Naggy (Greensburg, Pa.) to pick up his first win of the season. Rieghard surrendered one run on two hits and struck out two. Naggy gave up four runs on six hits in three innings of work.
In game two, Joe Novotny (Johnstown, Pa.), Mike McDermott (Nanty-Glo, Pa.) and Drew Shaulis (Somerset, Pa.) combined for the five-hit shutout. Novotny earned the win to improve to 1-2 after giving up five hits and striking out four in four innings. McDermott and Shaulis didn't allow a hit and fanned one each.
Martin's single to right field drove in Mangini and Barbera to give the Mountain Cats a 2-0 lead after one inning. Pitt-Johnstown added two in the third and one in the fourth to go up 5-0, before Martin's two-RBI triple in the sixth made it 7-0. Martin later scored on a wild pitch to set the final at 8-0.
Martin finished 3-for-4 with five RBI, and Mangini added three more hits and two runs. Barbera also had two hits and two RBI.
With the sweep, Clarion fell to 1-5.
Pitt-Johnstown opens the 2010 WVIAC Northern Division schedule with doubleheaders against Seton Hill University on Saturday and Sunday. Both doubleheaders will start a 1 p.m. at the Point Stadium.

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