ERIE, Pa. - Pitt-Johnstown rallied for three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to complete a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division baseball doubleheader sweep against Gannon Sunday afternoon at Gannon University Field. The Mountain Cats held off the Golden Knights 7-5 during the opener, before rallying for a 4-2 victory in the nightcap.
Trailing 2-1 with two outs during the seventh inning of the second game, Pitt-Johnstown put together four hits and a walk to score three runs. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases. Kyle Morrow then hit a ball into the hole on the left side. With no play at first or second, the Golden Knights' throw to third base was late as the tying run scored. Jake Stern then singled to left field for a 4-2 lead. Andrew Keirn earned his second save with a scoreless bottom of the inning.
Gannon erased an early 1-0 deficit on
Zack Ranta's (Hamilton, Ontario/Orchard Park Secondary) two-out RBI double in the first inning. The Golden Knights manufactured the go-ahead run during the sixth inning.
Sean Sutton (Toronto, Ontario/Brebeuf College) led off with a double to right center, before moving to third on a balk.
Jared Wiesen (Girard, Ohio/Liberty) followed with a deep fly ball to left field that easily scored Sutton.
Taylor Anderson (Niagara Falls, Ontario/A.N. Myer Secondary) recorded two of Gannon's six hits during the second game. Sutton went 1-for-3 while scoring both runs.
Matt Tobin (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) was solid through six innings, before surrendering the three runs in the seventh. The junior left-hander went 6 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking five.
In the opener, Pitt-Johnstown bolted to a 7-1 lead through three at-bats. The Mountain Cats scored four times during the first inning, before adding two in the second and one in the third.
Gannon used two-out lightning to chipped away at the lead with
Lou Downey's (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) RBI double in the second,
Mark DeVita's (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) RBI single in the third and Sutton's RBI single in the sixth. All three hits drove home runs with two outs.
Head coach
Nate Cocolin's club made things real interesting with another rally during the bottom of the seventh inning. After Ranta drew a lead-off walk, DeVita reached when he swung at a wild pitch.
Bob Roach (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Downey cut the lead to 7-5 with back-to-back RBI singles. But UPJ's Elliott Chamberlain shut the door with a strikeout and ground-out to end the game.
DeVita finished 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI in the nightcap. Downey completed his collegiate career with two hits and two RBIs in four at-bats. Sutton went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Dustin Godden (Brampton, Ontario/Mayfield Secondary) tossed three scoreless innings of relief to keep the Golden Knights within striking distance.
Gannon concluded the regular season with a 15-29 overall record and 10-18 PSAC West mark. Pitt-Johnstown secured the division's third seed for the upcoming PSAC Tournament, finishing 22-22 overall and 17-11 in divisional play.
