Alfred, NY -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team was back in action on Tuesday as they traveled to Alfred, NY, for a doubleheader with the Alfred Saxons. The Panthers outlasted the hosts 5-2 in the opener and then dominated game two 16-4.

Game One- Pitt-Bradford 5 - Alfred 2

In the opener, Pitt-Bradford fell behind the hosts early, but scored twice in the 4th and 5th innings to grab control.

After the Panthers went down in order to begin the game, Carter Leviski headed to the mound, registering his first career start. The sophomore right-hander allowed a leadoff hit, but then retired the next three. In the second, he could not escape an early hit as the hosts put runners on the corners with one out. He allowed a single through the left side to bring in the first run of the game, but after walking the bases loaded, got out of the jam with a strikeout and a forceout at the plate. 

Following a quiet third frame, the Panthers rallied with two outs in the 4th to take the lead. Mallick Metcalfe reached on an infield single to register the Panthers' first hit of the game, and then, after a strikeout, came around to score on an Alex Colwell double to right. Trent Bielak followed with a single to left, driving in Colwell to put the Panthers in front. Leviski made quick work of the Saxons in the bottom of the frame, striking out two batters on the way to an important shutdown inning. 

The Panthers used the momentum in the 5th, tacking on two more runs to their lead. Ethan Obergfell led off the inning with a double to right center and then took third on a wild pitch. Grant Casses followed and drew a walk before stealing a bag to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Alex Ognen and Aiden Zimmerman each drove in one of the runners with a sacrifice fly. Alfred put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the frame to pull a run back. Leviski retired the first two batters, but then saw the inning extended with a walk and a single to right. Another single brought in the second run of the game, but Leviski avoided further damage by inducing a pop-up.

Ethan Zimmerman replaced Leviski to begin the 6th inning and, despite walking three batters in the frame, was able to keep the Saxons off the board. The Panthers gave him an extra support run in the 7th, as the bottom of the lineup produced again. Obergfell hit a one-out single to right and then scored when Casses tripled to left. He tried to round the bases for an inside-the-park homerun but was thrown out at the plate. 

In the final frame, Zimmerman slammed the door shut for the Panthers, retiring the side in order to pick up a save. 

Carter Leviski (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory, allowing 2 earned runs on 8 hits in 5.0 innings pitched. He struck out 4. Ethan Zimmerman (1) pitched the final 2 innings without a hit and was credited with a save. Ethan Obergfell had the only multihit game for the Panthers, finishing 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored. Grant Casses went 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI triple. 

Game Two: Pitt-Bradford 16 - Alfred 4

Pitt-Bradford jumped all over the Saxons in Game two, building a 16-0 lead by scoring in each of the first 5 innings, before the hosts tacked on 4 runs in the final frame. The contest was dominated by Pitt-Bradford senior Trent Bielak, as the outfielder and pitcher threw 6+ innings on the mound while also tallying 4 hits at the plate. 

The Panthers took the lead right off the bat, as Aiden Zimmerman drew a leadoff walk and then eventually moved up to third base on a pair of errors. Bielak gave himself some run support before stepping on the mound, driving a single to right center to bring in Zimmerman. Braden Meadows followed with a hit through the right side, but the Panthers could not tack on as the next two batters were retired. Bielak ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning, allowing two singles to start the frame, but was able to settle down and retire the next three Saxons to end the inning.

Pitt-Bradford doubled its lead in the 2nd as Grant Casses drew a walk and then, after advancing to second on a groundout, scored on an Ethan Obergfell single. Bielak hit a batter with one out in the bottom half, but posted another shutdown frame thanks to an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

In the 3rd, the Panthers used 5 hits to bring in 4 runs to push the lead to 6. Bielak, Meadows, and Seth Helgert all singled to start the inning and load the bases with nobody out. Logan McConnel brought in Bielak with a sacrifice fly before Alan Compres dropped a single into right center to drive in two more. Following a wild pitch, Casses brought in his second run of the game with a single to center.

After another 0 by Bielak, the Panthers took advantage of a free pass and two Alfred errors to add a run to the lead. Obergfell began the inning with a walk, and then was replaced on the basepaths due to a fielder's choice. The next two Panthers reached on errors in the infield before Helgert brought in a run with an RBI groundout. Bielak returned to the hill for the bottom of the 4th, and despite walking the leadoff batter, retired the next three Saxons to end the inning.

Pitt-Bradford's offense put together another huge inning in the 5th, scoring 6 more times to go ahead 13-0. Compres was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and then rounded the bases on a Casses triple to left. Zimmerman drew another walk before a wild pitch allowed Casses to score and Zimmerman to move all the way to third. Obergfell brought him in with a single to center, and then Alex Colwell doubled down the left field line to drive Obergfell in from first. Bielak continued the inning with a triple to center and then scored two batters later on a Helgert sacrifice fly. Bielak used just 12 pitches in the bottom of the inning to record his 5th consecutive shutdown inning. 

Following a scoreless 6th, the Panthers put together a two-out rally in the top of the 7th to tack on three more runs. Bielak started the rally with his fourth hit of the game, a single up the middle, before the Panthers loaded the bases with a pair of free passes. McConnell brought him in when he was hit by a pitch, and then Compres drove in another with a single to left. Casses drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the final run before a groundball ended the frame.

Bielak returned to the hill in the bottom of the 7th, looking to record a complete-game shutout. Unfortunately, he allowed a leadoff double and then a single, which put the hosts on the board. He was replaced by Kristian Kocon, who picked up the first out of the inning on a strikeout, but then gave up a single and a double, allowing his inherited runner to score. He picked up another strikeout, but could not get out of the inning without further damage, allowing a two-run single to center. A batter later, he induced a groundball to first base, ending the game. 

Trent Bielak (1-1) picked up the win after allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits in 6+ innings pitched. He struck out 3. Bielak was also a force at the plate, finishing 4/5 with 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, and a double. Kristian Kocon recorded the final three outs, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out two. Grant Casses had a huge game at the plate for the Panthers, finishing 2 for 3 with a triple, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Alan Compres was responsible for 5 Panther runs, scoring 2 and driving in 3. Ethan Obergfell, Seth Helgert, and Logan McConnell all drove in a pair of runs in the victory.

The sweep moves Pitt-Bradford to 4-13 on the season. They will return to action on Saturday, when they resume AMCC play with a doubleheader at Penn State-Altoona. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.