As usual, the Mountain Cats started fast with four consecutive wins. Evan Link pinned Dante Steffenino with just 15 seconds remaining in the 125-lb. match to get Pitt-Johnstown rolling.
Corey Bush, ranked first in Super Region I at 133 lbs., needed overtime, but got an early take down in the extra period to hold off Karl Lightner, 4-2, before sixth-rank Sam Hanau built a 5-0 first period lead and went on to defeat Cody Blankenship, 6-2.
After a Cole Landowski won by forfeit at 149 lbs. to make it 18-0 in favor of the Mountain Cats, Shippensburg cut it to 18-6 when Pitt-Johnstown's Kevin Synan was forced to injury default one minute into the 157-lb. bout.
Pitt-Johnstown answered right back with a 6-1 decision by seventh-ranked Tyler Reinhart at 165 lbs., before John Blankenship sealed the Mountain Cat victory by pinning Colton Rebert at 4:42 to push the lead out to 27-3 with three bouts remaining.
The Red Raiders got a 2-0 win by Kyle Taylor over Nick Penatzer at 184 lbs. and a 7-4 win from 2014 National Qualifier Jalal Paige at 197 lbs. to make it 27-12, but it was too late.
Pitt-Johnstown finished the match just like it started…with a fall. This time D.J. Sims closed things out by pinning Derek Earnest at 2:54 to set the final at 33-12.
With the loss, Shippensburg dropped to 6-12 overall and 1-5 in the PSAC.
Prior to the match, the Mountain Cat wrestling program recognized Zac Bennett (197/285 lbs.), this year's lone senior.
Bennett transferred to Pitt-Johnstown after wrestling two years at NCAA Division I University of North Carolina. After sitting out the first semester in 2013-14, Bennett took over the starting spot at 197 lbs. on his way to winning a Super Region I title and becoming an All-American with a seventh-place finish at the National Tournament. Bennett, who was 21-5 overall and 10-2 in dual meets, placed third at the Franklin & Marshall Open. His team-best 16 victories by pin broke Jared Kuleck's 197-lb. single-season record (14 falls) set in 1992-93. Bennett's 14 pins in 28:09 led the country and his 4.3478 points made him the country's second most dominating wrestler.
In 2014-15, Bennett also sat out the fall semester and moved from 197 lbs. to 285 lbs. He posted a 5-0 record on his way to winning a championship at the Franklin & Marshall Open on January 3. Prior to an injury, Bennett was 8-1 overall and 3-1 in dual meets. Five of his eight victories came by way of fall.
Pitt-Johnstown closes out the 2014-15 regular season at Mercyhurst on Saturday. The Mountain Cats will then travel to West Liberty, W.Va. for the Super Region I tournament on February 27-28 and to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in St. Louis, MO on March 13-14.
Results:
125 lbs. Evan Link (UPJ) Fall Dante Steffenino (SU) 6:45 6-0 UPJ
133 lbs. Corey Bush (UPJ) Decision Karl Lightner (SU) 4-2 SV1 9-0 UPJ
141 lbs. #6 Sam Hanau (UPJ) Decision Cody Blankenship (SU) 6-2 12-0 UPJ
149 lbs. Cole Landowski (UPJ) Won By forfeit 18-0 UPJ
157 lbs. Mike Springer (SU) Injury Default Kevin Synan (UPJ) 18-6 UPJ
165 lbs. #7 Tyler Reinhart (UPJ) Decision Arthur Watkins (SU) 6-1 21-6 UPJ
174 lbs. John Blankenship (UPJ) Fall Colton Rebert (SU) 4:42 27-6 UPJ
184 lbs. Kyle Taylor (SU) Decision Nick Penatzer (UPJ) 3-0 27-9 UPJ
197 lbs. Jalal Paige (SU) Decision Forest Tuttle (UPJ) 7-4 27-12 UPJ
285 lbs. D.J. Sims (UPJ) Fall Derek Earnest (SU) 2:54 33-12 UPJ
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