Matt Whiteman (North Huntingdon, Pa.) pitched six scoreless innings, and Nick Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa.) belted a three-run homer to lead Pitt-Johnstown to an 8-0 victory over Salem International (WV) University in Tuesday's doubleheader opener at the Point Stadium. The Mountain Cats completed the sweep with a 12-8 win in game two behind four hits from Andy Rubal (Johnstown, Pa.) and three hits, including a solo homerun, by Drew Westover (Flinton, Pa.). Pitt-Johnstown has won nine of its last 11 and improved to 17-11.
The Mountain Cats struck for four runs in the third. Rubal scored on a wild pitch, and Barbera followed two pitches later with a three-run homerun over the left field screen.
Drew Shaulis' (Somerset, Pa.) sacrifice fly in the fourh scored Dan Mangini (Lower Burrell, Pa.) to make it 5-0.
Pitt-Johnstown added three more in the sixth. Seth Roy's (Bedford, Pa.) single drove home Justin Demek (Cabot, Pa.), and Mangini and Rubal scored on Shaulis' single to left.
Barbera went 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Shaulis had two hits and three RBI. Staub and Rubal had two hits for the Mountain Cats.
Whiteman improved to 2-1 after scattering three hits in six scoreless innings of work. Whiteman struckout eight and walked two. Mike Violi (Indiana, Pa.) fanned two in a scoreless seventh inning.
Pitt-Johnstown completed the sweep with a 12-8 victory in the nightcap.
Salem Internatonal jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on RBI singles by Kenneth Minor and Michael Holbert.
The Mountain Cats sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs in the bottom of the inning. Zach Martin (Irwin, Pa.) and Rubal had RBI singles, and DWestover and Mangini each had RBI doubles. Rubal scored on a wild-pitch.
The Tigers tied it at five with three runs in the top of the third, but Matt McGee's (Beech Creek, Pa.) two-run homerun down the left field line put Pitt-Johnstown back into the lead at 7-5.
Salem International battled back to tie it it the fourth on Minor's opposite-field solo homer to left center and Holbert's RBI single.
Pitt-Johnstown answered angain with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Rubal, Whiteman and McGee drove in runs, and Shaulis scored from third on a throwing error by Salem International catcher Charles Rymers.
Westover's long homerun over the left-center field wall in the fifth increased the lead to 12-7.
The Tigers scored one in the top of the seventh to set the final at 12-8.
Rubal went 4-for-4 with a double an RBI and two runs, while Westover had three hits, including a homer and a double, and two RBI. McGee had two hits and knocked in four, and Martin collected two hits and an RBI.
Paul Tunink (Indiana, Pa.) got the win in relief of starter Jon Moore (Leechburg, Pa.). Tunink surrendered three runs (2 earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings to even his record at 1-1. Moore tosssed the first 2.2 innings and gave up five runs (2 earned) on three hits. Tunink and Moore each fanned three.
With the sweep, Salem International fell to 7-23.
The Mountain Cats will host a doubleheader against Alderson-Broaddus (WV) College on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Point Stadium, before traveling to West Liberty (WV) University for a four-game WVIAC Northern Division series on Saturday and Sunday.
