Trailing 9-7 halfway through the match, Pitt (4-2) turned the tables, winning the next five bouts and getting 16 points in the process to blow open a close match and take a 20-9 advantage in the head-to-head competition with the Terrapins (4-4).
Redshirt senior, second-ranked Max Thomusseit stayed unbeaten on the season at 184 pounds, moving to 10-0 overall and 6-0 in dual matches by recording a fall on Tony Gardner in 3:45, Thomusseit's fastest fall of the season. Thomusseit leads the Panthers with six bonus point victories this year and 25 dual points.
The Panthers also picked up bonus point wins from redshirt freshman Dom Forys at 125 pounds and redshirt freshman Cody Wiercioch at 165 pounds. Forys has won five straight bouts and Wiercioch remained a perfect 5-0 in dual matches.
Returning to the winning column were sophomores Mikey Racciato and John Rizzo and redshirt junior Troy Reaghard, while redshirt junior Nick Bonaccorsi went to 8-2 this season.
Forys opened the night by nearly ending his bout a period early after closing out the final seconds of the middle frame with a takedown and three near fall points. He would have to settle for a 17-4 major decision, setting the tone for the Panthers in the match.
In the next two bouts, redshirt freshman Nick Zanetta and redshirt junior Travis Shaffer each put up a valiant effort against Maryland's top two, nationally ranked wrestlers. However, both Pitt wrestlers came up short in the end.
Facing his fourth top-10 opponent in just six duals on the young season, Zanetta went up against eighth-ranked Geoffrey Alexander at 133 pounds. Through two periods, Zanetta had the only point following an escape to begin the second, but Alexander returned the favor to start the third and closed out the scoring with a takedown with under a minute to go to claim the narrow 3-1 decision.
After being taken down in the middle of the first, Shaffer battled back against No. 13 Shyheim Brown at 141 pounds with two escapes to even the score going into the third. Beginning on top, Brown scored a takedown and received the ride time advantage for a 5-2 decision.
In a neck-and-neck bout between sophomore Mikey Racciato and Ben Dorsay at 149 pounds, Racciato took a 5-2 lead into the third period, but an escape and takedown by Dorsey tied the score at 5-5 midway through the stanza. Racciato responded with an escape and two takedowns the rest of the way, and outscored Dorsay 6-1 down the stretch for an 11-6 decision.
Maryland took back the lead at 9-7 following the match at 157 pounds between redshirt junior Ronnie Garbinsky and Lou Mascola, but wouldn't get another win the rest of the night. Garbinsky, who suffered a 5-2 decision at the hands of Mascola, endured just his second loss in his last six bouts.
Pitt received a huge boost following the intermission from redshirt freshman Cody Wiercioch in the 165 pound matchup, which led to the Panthers winning out. Wiercioch tallied two takedowns in the final 15 seconds to give him a 13-5 major decision and put the Panthers on top for good.
Redshirt senior Troy Reaghard rode the momentum from the previous bout and got a boost of energy from the fans as he was able to steal a win from Josh Snook at 174 pounds. Trailing 2-1 following the first period, Reaghard contained Snook the entire second period and got an escape in the third to send the bout into a sudden victory. After containing Snook once again in the first tiebreaker, Reaghard countered with a reversal and held on for a 4-2 decision, extending Pitt's lead to 14-9.
With the match potentially on the line following Thomusseit's fall, Bonaccorsi finished off Rob Fitzgerald in a 12-5 decision to clinch the match for the Panthers. Rizzo came next and held on for a 6-5 decision against Sean Twigg thanks in part to the ride time advantage.
Pitt has now won three straight against the Terrapins since the schools renewed their rivalry during the 2012-13 season. Overall, the Panthers are 20-5 all-time against Maryland.
The Panthers are off until the Southern Scuffle, which takes place in Chattanooga, Tenn. from Jan. 1-2.
Results:
125: Dom Forys (P) m. dec. Josh Polacek (M), 17-4; Pitt leads 4-0
133: No. 8 Geoffrey Alexander (M) dec. Nick Zanetta (P), 3-1; Pitt leads 4-3
141: #13 Shyheim Brown (M) dec. Travis Shaffer (P), 5-2; Maryland leads 6-4
149: #19 Mikey Racciato (P) dec. Ben Dorsay (M), 11-6; Pitt leads 7-6
157: Lou Mascola (M) dec. Ronnie Garbinsky (P), 5-2; Maryland leads 9-7
165: Cody Wiercioch (P) m. dec. Tyler Manion (M), 13-5; Pitt leads 11-9
174: Troy Reaghard (P) dec. Josh Snook (M), 4-2 (TB1); Pitt leads 14-9
184: No. 2 Max Thomusseit (P) fall Tony Gardner, 3:45; Pitt leads 20-9
197: No. 13 Nick Bonaccorsi (P) dec. Rob Fitzgerald, 12-5; Pitt leads 23-9
285: John Rizzo (P) dec. Sean Twigg, 6-5; Pitt wins 26-9
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