After being held to four hits in a 5-0 loss in the opener, the Mountain Cats exploded for 16 runs and 19 hits in a 16-1 win to earn the split with Wheeling Jesuit (WV) University to wrap-up a four-game WVIAC Northern Division series, Saturday afternoon at the Point Stadium. Zach Martin (Irwin, Pa.) had three hits and four RBI, and Andy Rubal (Johnstown , Pa.) added three hits and a pair of RBI in the lopsided victory. Pitt-Johnstown took three of four from the Cardinals and improved to 15-11 overall and 7-5 in conference play.
Wheeling Jesuit took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Dominic San Felippo doubled to left center and scored on Mike Ludewig's two-out single up the middle.
The Cardinals added three more in the fifth. Ryan Venderlic and Seth Fluharty had RBI singles and Venderlic scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
That was all Wheeling Jesuit left-hander Noah Mull needed. Pitt-Johnstown loaded the bases in the sixth, but but Mull struckout Drew Westover (Flinton, Pa.) to end the threat.
Wheeling Jesuit tacked on one more in the seventh to set the final at 5-0.
Mull allowed just four hits in the complete-game shutout. Mull also struck out eight and walked just one.
Nick Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa.), Matt Staub (Latrobe, Pa.), Matt McGee (Beech Creek, Pa.) and Rubal each had a hit for the Mountain Cats.
Cody Reighard (Salix, Pa.) took the loss and fell to 2-2 after giving up four runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings of work.
The Pitt-Johnstown bats came alive in game two. The Mountain Cats collected nine runs on seven hits in the first two innings.
The Mountain Cats jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead on Martin's first inning three-run homerun to left center.
Pitt-Johnstown added six more in the second. Barbera, Rubal, Matt Whiteman (North Huntingdon, Pa.), Justin Demek (Cabot, Pa.) and Dan Mangini (Lower Burrell, Pa.) all drove in runs, and Drew Shauls (Somerset, Pa.) scored from third on a double steal.
Wheeling Jesuit got one back in the third on San Felippo's single off the screen in left, but the Mountain Cats tacked on three more in the bottom of the frame, including a lead-off inside the park homerun by Seth Roy (Bedford, Pa.).
The Mountain Cats tacked on four more runs over the next two innings and went on to the 16-1 win.
Martin went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, four RBI and three runs, and Shaulis had three hits and scored three runs. Rubal had three hits, two RBI and three runs, while Barbera and Westover each had two hits and two RBI.
Staub pitched six strong innings and held the Cardinals to just one run on five hits, while striking out five and walking two. Staub improved to 2-1.
With the split, Wheeling Jesuit is now 8-8 overall and 2-5 in the WVIAC Northern Division.
The Mountain Cats will host doubleheaders against Salem International (WV) Univesity on Tuesday and Alderson-Broaddus (WV) College on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Point Stadium.
