Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 John Fees tossed a complete-game to lead the Mountain Cats to a 3-1 victory in Friday's PSAC Western Division doubleheader opener against Slippery Rock, Friday afternoon at Point Stadium. The Rock answered with a 5-2 win in the nightcap to secure the split. Pitt-Johnstown, in a virtual tie for third-place with Slippery Rock in the PSAC West, is now 17-21 overall and 12-10 in conference-play.
In game one, the Mountain Cats got strong pitching from Fees and timely hitting in the 3-1 victory.
Fees tossed a complete-game and surrendered just one run on four hits to even his record at 5-5. Fees also walked one and struck out two.
Pitt-Johnstown opened-up a 2-0 lead after three innings.
Dillon Boyer's two-out single to center plated
Jake Stern from second to put the Mountain Cats up 1-0 in the second inning, before
Matt McGhee's two-out base hit in the third chased home
Jake Warner to make it 2-0.
Slippery Rock cut it to 2-1 with a run in the top of the fourth, but Pitt-Johnstown added an insurance run on
Nate Negri's pinch-hit RBI double in the sixth to set the final at 3-1.
In game two,
Nate Pope got the first two outs in the top of the first for the Mountain Cats, but then gave four runs on six consecutive hits. Slippery Rock added another run in the top of the second to make it 5-0.
Warner and Stern each had two hits for the Mountain Cats in the win.
Pitt-Johnstown tried to get back in it in the bottom of the frame.
Kyle Morrow doubled to start the inning and came around to score two batters later on McGhee's double down the right field line. With two outs,
Matt McMillen's single up the middle scored McGhee from third to cut it to 5-2.
However, Slippery Rock starter Anton Constantino held the Mountain Cats scoreless the rest on the way on his way to the complete-game win.
McMillen accounted for two of Pitt-Johnstown's five base hits in the nightcap.
Pope started but last just 1-plus innings after getting touched-up for five runs on eight hits.
Brantley Rice scattered five hits in 5.2 scoreless innings in relief.
With the split, The Rock is now 22-14 overall and 11-9 in the PSAC West.
Pitt-Johnstown will finish the four-game PSAC West series against The Rock on Saturday in Slippery Rock, before celebrating Senior Day with a conference doubleheader against Gannon on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Point Stadium.
