Mountain Cats Split With #3-Ranked West Virginia State

05/01/2006

Head Coach Todd Williams' Mountain Cat baseball team, ranked #6 in the North Atlantic Region, improved to 33-16 with a doubleheader split with region #1 and national #3-ranked West Virginia State University Monday afternoon at George R. Walter Field. After falling, 8-5 in game one, junior right hander Zach Stere (Bellwood, Pa.) tossed a complete-game to lead Pitt Johnstown to a 4-1 victory in game two.
In Monday's opener, Pitt Johnstown fell behind 6-0 in the first inning. However, the Mountain Cats battled back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and three runs in the bottom of the seventh before falling 8-5. After giving up six runs on six hits in the top of the first inning, freshman lefthander Bill Wasko (Bethel Park, Pa.) settled down and held the Yellow Jackets to just two runs on seven hits over the final six innings. Wasko struckout seven and walked two, but fell to 1-3. Shortstop Chris Turka (Natrona Heights, Pa.) doubled and tripled, and outfielder Josh Farabaugh (Altoona, Pa.) added two hits added and an RBI. Senior first baseman Casey Long (Johnstown, Pa.) also had two hits and an RBI in the loss.
In the nightcap, Stere scattered five hits and struckout four to improve to 3-0. The Mountain Cats, who also managed just five hits off of two West Virginia State pitchers, scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and added runs in the third and fourth innings to secure the 4-1 win. Turka added another double and freshman third baseman Justin Horrell (Ligonier, Pa.) tripled, while Matt Hanley (Delmont, Pa.), Cody Gallaher (Sidman, Pa.) and Long each drove in one run.
Pitt Johnstown will wait to see if it earns the school's first ever bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament, May 18-21.

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