Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team hosted the La Roche Redhawks in their penultimate regular-season doubleheader at Repchick Family Field on Sunday. The Panthers fell behind in both contests, but despite rallying in the final inning to put the tying or go-ahead run on base, they ultimately dropped both games. They lost the opener 4-2 in 7 innings and the nightcap 8-7 in nine.
Game One: La Roche 4 - Pitt-Bradford 2
In Game one, the Panthers answered a 2-run first inning, but the offense sputtered after the opening frame as they were kept off the board for the next six innings in a 4-2 loss.
Collin Porter took the mound for the opener and ran into trouble early. He walked the leadoff batter before the visitors loaded the bases on an infield error and a single. They drove in a pair of runs with a hit to center and a sacrifice fly before Porter ended the inning with a shallow fly ball to center and a strikeout. Pitt-Bradford struck right back in their half of the inning, tying the game at two. Alex Ognen drew a leadoff walk and then moved to second on a Noah Avey single. After a passed ball allowed both runners to move up, Alex Colwell doubled to the right-center gap to drive them in. An infield error and a stolen base put runners on second and third with one out, but the Panthers failed to capitalize as the next two batters were retired.
After both teams were set down in order in the 2nd, La Roche regained the lead in the 3rd. The Redhawks started the inning with two singles and then loaded the bases with a walk. Porter struck out a batter before inducing a flyball to center, which drove in the go-ahead run. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, but Porter stranded them there with another flyout. Colwell drew a one-out walk as the Panthers looked to strike back immediately in the bottom half, but he was erased by an inning-ending double play a pitch later.
Porter faced the minimum in the 4th, but the Panthers once again stranded two runners in their half. Mallick Metcalfe hit a one-out single and then moved to second on an error in the infield, but he was unable to advance further than second base as the inning ended two batters later.
Following a quiet 5th, the visitors tacked on an insurance run in the 6th. After retiring two batters to start the frame, Porter allowed a double down the line and a single up the middle to put the deficit at two. He was relieved by Jacob Sherdel, who ended the inning with a fly ball to center. In the 7th, Sherdel made quick work of the Redhawks to keep the deficit at two heading into the last of the 7th. The first two Panthers to come to the plate were retired, but the Panthers rallied with two outs. Alex Ognen continued the game with a single off the pitcher, and then moved to third when Avey singled up the middle. Avey took second on the play as the outfield looked to throw out Ognen at third, putting the tying run on 2nd with two outs. Alex Colwell stepped to the plate and on a check swing nearly blooeped a single into center, but his effort was caught just over second base, ending the game.
Collin Porter (0-5) picked up another hard-luck loss. The senior right-hander allowed 4 runs, 3 earned in 5.2 innings pitched. He struck out 6. Jacob Sherdel retired all four batters he faced to close out the game for Pitt-Bradford. Alex Ofnen and Noah Avey both finished 2 for 3 with a run scored in the loss. Alex Colwell drove in both Pitt-Bradford runs, finishing 1 for 3 with a walk and a double. Mallick Metcalfe also recorded a hit for Pitt-Bradford.
Game Two: La Roche 8 - Pitt-Bradford 7
Pitt-Bradford jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the nightcap, but lost momentum and fell behind the Redhawks after allowing 7 runs in the 6th inning. The Panthers rallied late to score two in the 9th, but left the tying and winning runs on base to end the game 8-7.
Patrick Synan started the game for the Panthers and made quick work of the Redhawks in the first, working around a two-out single to post an opening frame 0. The Panther offense exploded out of the gate, scoring 3 runs in the first to move into the lead. Alec Ognen started the game with a walk, and then after a fielder's choice, Alex Colwell and Trent Bielak hit back-to-back singles to open the scoring. Following a groundout, Mallick Metcalfe drove a double off the fence in left center to bring in two more, putting Pitt-Bradford ahead 3-0 after one frame.
Synan retired the side in order to put up a shutdown frame in the second, but the Panthers failed to capitalize, stranding a runner on third base to end the bottom half. After Synan put another scoreless inning on the board, the Panthers tacked on to their lead. Colwell and Bielak reached base on free passes, forcing a La Roche pitching change. Aiden Zimmerman lined a single up the middle to drive in Colwell, and then a batter later, Metcalfe drove in a second on an RBI groundout. Zimmerman moved to third on a stolen base and the groundout, but was left there as the next two batters were retired.
La Roche registered two hits in the top of the 4th, but Synan used a pair of fielder's choice outs at third base to keep the lead at 5-0. In the 5th, the visitors were finally able to break through, using a two-out rally. After retiring the first two batters, Synan hit a batter to extend the frame and then gave up a single to left center to put runners on the corners. He could not escape the inning unscathed as the lead runner came home on a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 4.
After a second-straight 1-2-3 inning in the 5th, LaRoche exploded in the 6th. They scored 7 runs on 6 hits off of three different Pitt-Bradford pitchers to move into the lead. La Roche loaded the bases with a double, a bloop single, and a walk, and then cut into the lead as a high chopper bounced over Metcalfe's head at third, bringing in the first two runs. The Panthers turned to Maddox Stafdler to get out of the jam, but he could not escape further damage. An error in the infield allowed two runners to score, tying the game at 5. A throw to the plate allowed the trail runner to move to second. Two more singles drove in another run before the Redhawks brought in the 6th run on a safety squeeze. Following a strikeout, LaRoche capped the rally with a double to right field, giving them an 8-5 lead. Pitt-Bradford brought in Carter Leviski to replace Stadler, and the sophomore finished the inning with a deep foul out to left. Metcalfe led off the 6th with a double, but was left stranded on third to end the inning.
Leviski returned to the mound for the 7th, but was lifted in favor of Kristian Kocon after a leadoff single. Kocon got some help from his battery mate as Logan McConnell whipped a throw to third on a potential wild pitch to erase the inherited runner. He walked a batter later in the inning, but used a fly out to center and a groundout to end the frame. Pitt-Bradford put together another rally in the 7th, but once again failed to find the final hit to drive in any runs. Bielak and Zimmerman hit back-to-back singles with two down, and then Metcalfe was walked to load the bases. McConnell stepped to the plate but was retired on a groundout, ending the threat.
Ethan Zimmerman entered the game to begin the 8th and had an effective outing, retiring all six batters he faced. Trailing by 3 in the 9th, the Panthers put together one final rally. Noah Avey led off with a single through the left side, and then, after a strikeout, moved to second on a Bielak single. An infield error allowed Avey to score before Metcalfe barely beat out a potential game-ending doubleplay ball to put runners on the corners with two outs. McConnell continued the game with a line drive single through the right side, bringing in Bielak and cutting the lead to one. Oscar Roig pinch ran for Metclafe, representing the tying run, but the game ended a batter later on a groundout to 2nd base.
Patrick Synan was saddled with a no-decision in his start, allowing 5 earned runs in 5+ innings pitched. He struck out two. Maddox Stadler (2-4) got the loss after allowing 3 runs, 1 earned in 2/3 of an inning pitched. Carter Leviski, Kristian Kocon, and Ethan Zimmerman combined to pitch the final 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk over the 3+ frames. Trent Bielak led the offense with 3 hits, as he went 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Mallick Metcalfe went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. Aiden Zimmerman also recorded a multi-hit game, going 2 for 5. Noah Avey and Alex Colwell each scored twice in the loss.
Pitt-Bradford falls to 11-20 on the season with a 6-8 mark in AMCC play. After a week of finals, they will head into the final weekend of the regular season, needing a pair of wins to secure a spot in the AMCC tournament. They will host Mount Aloysius on Saturday, with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.
