Dylan Heid tossed a complete-game and struck out 13 to lead Pitt-Johnstown to a 5-2 non-conference victory over Fairmont State (WV) University in Saturday's doubleheader opener at Sargent's Stadium at the Point.
Tyler Smith's two run-homer in a six-run sixth inning innings got the Mountain Cats back in it, but the Fighting Falcons were able to hold on for a 7-6 win to get the split. Pitt-Johnstown is now 3-3.
In game one, Heid (2-0), the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, followed up last weekend's no-hitter against West Liberty, with a complete-game in the Mountain Cats' 5-2 victory. Heid allowed two runs (1 earned) on three hits, while fanning 13 and walking just one.
Pitt-Johnstown took a quick first-inning lead when
Mario Disso singled and scored from third on Smith's ground ball double play, but P.J. Lanham's solo homer to left-center in the Fairmont State top of the second tied it at 1.
Asher Corl doubled to lead off the Mountain Cat second inning and scored on
Colin Pasone's base hit to center to give the lead back to Pitt-Johnstown.
Back-to-back RBI doubles from Smith and
Lennox Pugh put the Mountain Cats in front, 4-1 after three innings.
Another run in the bottom of the fourth increased it to 5-1, and Pitt-Johnstown went on to the 5-2 victory.
Pugh went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Disso had two hits and scored a pair of runs for Pitt-Johnstown.
In game two, Lanham's RBI triple gave the Fighting Falcons an unearned run in the top of the first, before Lanham connected for his second homer of the day, a three-run shot to left center in the third to put Fairmont State in front 4-0.
Tyler Haskins drove in a pair with a base hit in the Fairmont State fourth and another unearned run in the fifth made it 7-0.
Pitt-Johnstown sent 12 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and exploded for six runs, highlighted for Smith's two-run homer, to narrow the gap to 7-6.
However, Steven Ricketts was able to get Fairmont State out of the sixth inning, then tossed a perfect seventh to preserve the 7-6 victory.
Smith doubled, homered, and drove in two, and
Jake Ansell had two hits and two RBI for the Mountain Cats.
Joel Colledge got the start and suffered the loss to slip to 1-1. Colledge pitched the first 3.2 innings and gave up six runs (4 earned) on five hits, while striking out three and walking three.
With the Split, the Fighting Falcons are now 1-5.
The Mountain Cats will finish the four-game series against the Falcons in Fairmont, W.Va. on Sunday, before hosting a non-conference doubleheader against Mount Aloysius on March 21 at Sargent's Stadium at the Point.
