SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. –  Sophomore third baseman Brandon Coffey (Manassas, VA/Osbourn) singled home senior shortstop Travis Sluger (Germantown, MD/Williamsport/Hagerstown CC) in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Shepherd University to an 8-7 win over Pitt-Johnstown in game one of WVIAC baseball doubleheader action at Fairfax Field on Saturday.  Pitt Johnstown had a 3-1 lead after two innings in the nightcap before the game was suspended due to rain.

 

Pitt-Johnstown took a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo homer by Kyle Morrow.

 

The Mountain Cats increased their lead to 6-0 with five runs in the second. Mike Palkovich had a two-run single to key the rally.

 

Shepherd plated three runs in the bottom of the second behind a two-run homer by sophomore designated hitter Ryan Messina (St. James, NY/Smithtown East) and an RBI-single by sophomore outfielder Aaron Scoville (Centreville, VA/Westfield).

 

The Rams added a pair of runs in the fourth on a two-run single by senior first baseman Nathan Minnich (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro Area Sr.) and then tied the game in the fifth when Scoville singled to plate pinch-runner Steve Ferguson (Martinsburg, WV/Martinsburg).

 

The Mountain Cats took a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth . Andy Ebersole led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Sam Barbera.  Barbera moved to second on a sacrifice and then to third on a single by Jeff Campbell. Zach Vignero followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Barbera.

 

Senior shortstop Nash Hutter (Sunland, CA/Verdugo Hills/Glendale CC) led off the bottom of the ninth with a single. After Hutter moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Cody Bumbaugh (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro Area Sr.), he was replaced by freshman pinch-runner Bryan DiRosario (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary School).  Sluger followed with a single and junior outfielder Kenny Beyer (Rockville, MD/ Montgomery-Germantown) smacked a sacrifice fly to score DiRosario and set the stage for Coffey’s  game-winning hit.

 

Coffey, Scoville, Messina, and junior second baseman Chad Murphy (North Olmsted, OH/North Olmsted) each had a pair of hits for the Rams.

 

Campbell went 4-for-5 and Palkovich added three hits to lead Pitt-Johnstown

 

Senior reliever Andrew Gallant (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Township) (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K) picked up the win to improve to 4-2. Mountain Cat reliever Kody Reighard (0-6) took the loss.

 

Shepherd improves to 26-18, 18-11 in WVIAC play, while Pitt-Johnstown falls to 23-24, 16-16. The two teams return to action on Sunday at Fairfax Field at 1 p.m. The second game will be resumed and a nine-inning game will follow.