It’s been an historic start to the season for the Pitt State Gorillas, and the team has been nothing short of dominant up until this point in the year. The Gorillas’ winning ways continued this past weekend when they took on the Central Oklahoma Bronchos at home, winning two games of the three-game series.
The first game took place on Friday and was a much larger victory than the 12-8 final score indicates for the Gorillas. Pitt State would find itself behind after the Bronchos would score in the first inning, but a two-run second inning would put the Gorillas back on top, and they would never relinquish the lead from there. Pitt State scored three runs in the fourth and sixth innings to stretch their lead, as Central Oklahoma would score five of their eight runs in the last two innings, falling short of a comeback.
Junior leadoff man Jadyn McNeeley collected three hits, scored twice and made three stolen bases. Junior Eric Bacon went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI, while senior Dagen Brewer belted a pair of solo home runs, his 10th and 11th of the season. Senior Preston Giltner limited the Bronchos to three runs on six hits through 5.0 innings of work. Junior Bradyn McClure registered his fourth save of the season by tossing the final four innings.
Game two would not turn out in the Gorillas favor, as they fell 3-13 to Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos plated in all but two innings, while the Gorillas were held off the scoresheet after the second inning, scoring just one run in the second and two in the first.
Bacon doubled, tripled and drove in a pair of runs for the Gorillas. McNeeley scored twice and stole a base. Redshirt senior Isaac Webb also went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Graduate student Zach Voss took his first loss of the season on the mound.
The final game of the series came on Sunday, and was an emphatic 11-0 win for Pitt State. The Gorillas took the lead with three runs in the first inning and never looked back, holding the Broncho offense almost completely mute.
Redshirt junior Ty Blecha would pitch the shut out, throwing just 89 pitches and only allowing three hits and two walks. Bacon went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBI to pace the Gorillas 14-hit attack. Senior Grant Nottlemann also went 2-for-3 with a bases clearing double and four RBI overall. Brewer and junior Seth Dandridge also had doubles in the game.
The Gorillas are currently ranked #1 in the writers’ poll and #2 in the coaches’ poll, sitting at a 25-3 record. Pitt State’s only other losses have come at the hands of #15 Emporia and #6 Central Missouri, with the Gorillas taking the other two games in the respective three game series.