The 11^th-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers got a fall from eight-ranked Trevon Gray to open the match and pulled away for a 25-15 victory over Belmont Abbey (NC) in Sunday's first round of the Frostburg State Duals in Frostburg, MD.  The Mountain Cats increased their win streak to six straight matches and improved to 8-2.
 
Pitt-Johnstown jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead when Gray pinned Brett Balzan at 1:54 in the 125-lb bout, before Belmont Abbey answered with a 10-7 win from No. 16 Elijah Boyd over Tyson Cook at 133 lbs. to make it 6-3.
 
At 141 lbs., Mason Myers defeated Luke Kunath, 6-3, to get the lead back out to six, but the Crusaders got a 10-4 decision from Stone Busler over Carter Weaver at 149 lbs. to cut it to 9-6.
 
That was as close as it would get.  The Mountain Cat went on to win four of the final six bouts to pull away.
 
Pitt-Johnstown came right back at 157 lbs. with Cooper Warshel's 19-4 technical fall win at 5:35 over William Nix, and Gavyn Beck got a third period takedown and held off Christian Arrington, 8-5 at 165 lbs. to get the lead to 17-6.
 
After Belmont Abbey's Maxwell Kiel earned a 7-1 win over Tony Salopek at 174 lbs., the Mountain Cats got a 2-1 win from Noah Gnibus at 184 lbs. and sixth-ranked Dakoda Rodgers won by technical fall, 17-1 at 6:44 to extend it to 25-9.
 
The Crusaders set the final at 25-15 when Mountain Cats fourth-ranked Isaiah Vance was forced to injury default at 1:18.
 
With the loss, Belmont Abbey slipped to 5-6.
 
The Mountain Cats travel to PSAC matches at Seton Hill on Friday and at Millersville on Feb. 1, before returning home to celebrate Winterfest Weekend and Senior Night against nationally-ranked Gannon on Feb. 14.