Coming into the Pitt wrestling team’s match against Lock Haven, No. 6 heavyweight Zac Thomusseit led the team in pins this season with eight.

It didn’t take him long to pick up his ninth pin on Saturday. Only 2:32 into the match, Thomusseit flattened Cody Mason’s shoulders to earn a fall along with six team points for the Panthers.

With six wrestlers earning bonus points, including Thomusseit with his six-point pin, the No. 17 Pitt wrestling team ended its two-match losing streak in a big way, on the back of a 32-4 takedown advantage, cruising through Eastern Wrestling League foe Lock Haven 33-6.

The wrestlers credited their coaches for getting them back on track.

“It was an important win for the team,” Shelton Mack said. “I feel like the coaches have prepared us well to start peaking and finish out the rest of the season strong.”

Pitt saw itself down early in the meet after dropping the 125-pound match. Lock Haven’s No. 32 Bobby Rehm defeated Derrick Nelson, 11-5.

Down 3-0, No. 17 Mack needed a big performance for the Panthers to get the points back. Mack, who has struggled early in matches all year, had three first-period takedowns to jump out to a 6-2 advantage.

“My main focus was to just try and get more riding time during the first period and go into the second with a bigger lead,” Mack said.

In the end, the junior came through with a big 12-4 major decision over Colton Dalberth, putting the team up 4-3.

Lock Haven’s No. 24 Dan Neff quickly grabbed the lead back for the Bald Eagles with an 8-1 decision over No. 31 Travis Shaffer at 141 pounds.

With the score at 6-4 in Lock Haven’s favor, Pitt rattled off seven straight wins, beginning at 149 pounds with No. 32 Ronnie Garbinsky’s 9-5 decision over Mac Maldarelli.

No. 32 157-pound Donnie Tasser turned in an excellent performance shutting out his Bald Eagles opponent, Aaron Fry, 12-0, for a major decision. Tasser controlled the match by possessing over five minutes of riding time.

At 165 pounds, No. 13 Tyler Wilps picked up a technical fall over Aaron McKinney, 20-4.

Pitt’s No. 24 Nick Bonaccorsi also earned bonus points for the team with his major decision. Bonaccorsi defeated Tyler Wood, 12-3.

One of the night’s best matches came at 184 pounds between ranked wrestlers No. 14 Max Thomusseit for the Panthers and No. 29 Fred Garcia for the Bald Eagles. In a tight match, Thomusseit pulled through with a 4-1 decision. Thomusseit’s victory clinched the team win, putting the Panthers up 23-6 with two matches remaining.

Pitt has excelled at the higher weight classes all season.

“I think the heavier weights’ success could be because of the upperclassmen captains [Matt Wilps and Zac Thomusseit],” Max Thomusseit said. “The upper weights train with these guys every day, and they help push the others to do better. Those captains are guys you can look up to, but it is difficult when you are a smaller weight and don’t wrestle these guys every day.”

The Panthers’ top wrestler, No. 2 Matt Wilps, has seemingly found his stride. He picked up a pin against a ranked opponent at Oklahoma State and earned Pitt a major decision victory, 15-5, over Lock Haven’s Phil Sprenkle.

Heavyweight Zac Thomusseit’s victory capped a big 33-6 win for the Panthers. With several tough and key matches remaining on the schedule, Pitt’s performance Saturday gives the team forward momentum.

“It’s nice to get another win,” Zac Thomusseit said. “I think the win gives the team some confidence heading into some key matches that are still remaining on our schedule.”

The Panthers return to the Fitzgerald Field House this Saturday at 7 p.m. to face traditional rival West Virginia. Next Saturday’s match is the first of three at home.