"We wrestled really hard tonight," said Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "We were definitely the underdog going into this, and our swing match was [Nick] Padezan. He really wrestled hard and turned things around for us. You also have to give a lot of credit to Lou [Thomas]. That's always tough to have the match come down to you. He did a great job of stepping up to the challenge."
At 125 pounds, Pitt's Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) faced Lock Haven's No. 18 Obenson Blanc. In the first period, Blanc was the first to score with two points on a takedown, but Gentzle responded with an escape, making the score 2-1 entering the second period. Gentzle was the first to score in the second with an escape, but Blanc came back with a takedown. An escape from Gentzle put the score at 4-3 going into the final period.
With three takedowns in the third period, Blanc won a 12-7 decision to put the Bald Eagles in the lead, 3-0. Pitt was able to even up the score in the 133-pound match between Mike Ciotti (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and Lock Haven's Casey Moore. The two wrestlers went scoreless in the first period, but Ciotti was able to come back and score on an escape in the second. With a point for riding time, Ciotti won the 2-0 decision to tie the team score at three.
Ronald Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny), ranked seventh nationally, earned bonus points for the Panthers in the 141-pound bout against Lock Haven's Brian Ellis. Tarquinio got off to a strong start, scoring on three takedowns in the first period to gain a 6-1 advantage. Tarquinio maintained the lead in the second, advancing to 9-1 with three points from a near fall. In the final period, he scored on two reversals and a takedown, winning a 16-3 major decision. The Panthers moved into the lead 7-3.
The match at 149 pounds was named one of the bouts to watch, and it was a close one for Pitt's Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) and Lock Haven's No. 17 Josh Medina. In the first period, Medina got to an early 2-1 lead, scoring on a takedown. Ecklof fought back in the second, scoring a point on an escape, but Medina scored on a takedown to move the score to 4-1 entering the final period. Ecklof was able to earn points for Medina stalling in the third, but Medina scored on an escape, giving him the one point he needed for a 5-4 decision. The Bald Eagles moved to six points, but Pitt still maintained the lead at seven.
Lock Haven was able to gain the lead with the 157-pound match between Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) and No. 17 Seth Martin of the Bald Eagles. Martin took a 2-0 lead in the first period with a takedown. He was able to stay ahead with an escape, takedown and a point for stalling on Pitt in the second. In the third period, Richmond got on the board with two escapes, but Martin took the match, 9-2. The Bald Eagles moved ahead to 9-7.
The Panthers moved back into the lead with the 165-pound match as No. 20 Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) took on Lock Haven's Rory McCoy. Nestor earned a 2-0 lead in the first period on a takedown. A reversal and takedown in the second, pushed him to 6-1. In the final period, Nestsor kept going with two more takedowns to gain an 11-3 major decision. Pitt moved back into the lead, 11-9.
The match heated up with the 174-pound match between Pitt's Nick Padezan (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) and Lock Haven's Carlos Ponce. The match was tied at three in the first period with each wrestler scoring for a takedown and an escape. In the second period, Padezan moved ahead to 6-4 after earning three points for a near fall. In the final period, Padezan scored on an escape and a point for riding time to gain an 8-5 victory over Ponce. Pitt increased the lead to 14-9.
"It always feels good to get a win for the team. I think I can beat any if I wrestle like I can," Padezan said of his victory over the NCAA qualifier. "You really have to stick with your offense, and you can't be afraid of anybody."
At 184 pounds, Pitt's Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) faced Lock Haven's Derrick Morgan. Deliere gained a point from an escape in the first period, but Morgan was able to score on a takedown for a 2-1 lead. A point for stalling by Pitt in the second period moved Morgan's lead to 3-1. In the final period, Deliere scored on an escape, but Morgan had gained momentum to get a 9-2 decision. The Bald Eagles' narrowed the gap, but Pitt stayed in the lead 14-12.
Wrestling at 197 pounds, Pitt's Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) took on Lock Haven's Tom Kocher. In an aggressive first period, Heist score two points from a takedown while Kocher scored one on an escape. Heist kept the lead in the second, scoring on an escape for a score of 3-1 going into the final period. The match turned in Kocher's favor in the final period, as he earned four more points en route to a 7-4 decision. The Bald Eagles moved back into the lead, 15-14.
With the Pitt vs. Lock Haven match up coming down to the final bout at heavyweight, Pitt's Lou Thomas (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) and Lock Haven's Tim Meyers had to battle it out for the team victory. Thomas gained the early lead with two points in the first period on a takedown. Meyers scored one on an escape. Thomas was the only one to score in the second, getting a point on an escape. Meyers came back in the third to score on an escape, but it wouldn't be enough giving Thomas the 3-2 victory and the Panthers the dual match win.
Pitt has one more league match up this season when they host Edinboro next Friday at 7:30 p.m. It will be senior night for the team as they recognize Ciotti, Tarquinio and Nestor in their final Pitt matches.
125: Obenson Blanc (LH) dec. Brad Gentzle (Pitt), 12-7 [3-0, Lock Haven]
133: Mike Ciotti (Pitt) dec. Casey Moore (LH), 2-0 [3-3]
141: Ronald Tarquinio (Pitt) maj. dec. Brian Ellis (LH), 16-3 [7-3, Pitt]
149: Josh Medina (LH) dec. Joey Ecklof (Pitt), 5-4 [7-6, Pitt]
157: Seth Martin (LH) dec. Sean Richmond (Pitt), 9-2 [9-7, Lock Haven]
165: Justin Nestor (Pitt) maj. dec. Rory McCoy (LH), 11-3 [11-9, Pitt]
174: Nick Padezan (Pitt) dec. Carlos Ponce (LH), 8-5 [14-9, Pitt]
184: Derrick Morgan (LH) dec. Kyle Deliere (Pitt), 9-2 [14-12, Pitt]
197: Tom Kocher (LH) dec. Mike Heist (Pitt), 7-4 [15-14, Lock Haven]
285: Lou Thomas (Pitt) dec. Tim Meyers (LH), 3-2 [17-15, Pitt]
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