After suffering a 6-3 loss to West Liberty (WV) in Sunday's doubleheader opener in Cadiz, OH,
Ben Tomb struck out eight over the first 4.1 innings, and
Erik Rhodes drove in three to help Pitt-Johnstown get the split with a 7-5 victory in game two. The Mountain Cats took three-out-of-four from the Hilltoppers and improved to 6-4.
Pitt-Johnstown got off to a fast start in Sunday's opener and used
Devon Boyles' two-run double that scored
Mario Disso and
Garrett Prosper to jump out to a 2-0 first inning lead.
West Liberty came back to take the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second and added another one in the fourth to make it 4-2.
Pitt-Johnstown cut it to 4-3 when
Dylan Broderick scored from third on a double steal in the fifth, but a pair of RBI singles in the Hilltoppers' half of the fifth increased it to 6-3.
The Mountain Cats loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh, but West Liberty reliever Trevor Thomas was able to get the final out to preserve the win for the Hilltoppers.
Boyles went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Disso had a hit and scored a run for Pitt-Johnstown.
Asher Corl,
Jake Ansell, and Prosper also had hits for the Mountain Cats.
Seth Shuey started and suffered the loss after giving up four runs (2 earned) on eight hits over the first four innings. Shuey fanned two and walked one.
Colton Cornell pitched the final two innings and allowed two runs (1 earned) on five hits, while striking out one and walking one.
In the nightcap, West Liberty scratched out an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but Pitt-Johnstown answered with two in the top of the fourth. Ansell scored on Rhodes' fielder's choice, and
Dylan Broderick drove home
Joey Maun with a base hit to right-center.
Rhodes added a two-run single in the Mountain Cats' four-run fifth inning that made it 6-1.
With the Mountain Cats leading 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh, West Liberty scored three runs, to make it 7-5, but
Garrett Holzapfel come in and got a strike out and two ground out to stop the rally and earn his first collegiate save.
Ben Tomb improved to 2-0 after holding West Liberty to two runs (1 earned) on four hits in the first 4.1 innings. Tomb also struck out eight and walked two.
Taylor Squiric made his season debut out of the pen and held the Hilltoppers hitless and struck out four in 1.2 innings.
Alex Glumac and
Ethan Wells each went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Rhodes had two hits and drove in three. Maun collected a pair of hits and scored two runs for Pitt-Johnstown.
With the split, West Liberty is now 5-8.
Pitt-Johnstown visits Charleston (WV) for a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday, before, before making its 2023 home debut with a four-game series against East Stroudsburg on March 17-18 at Point Stadium.
