Pitt loses tough match to KSU

For the third time in a month, the Pitt wrestling team was forced to start a match somewhere… For the third time in a month, the Pitt wrestling team was forced to start a match somewhere besides the traditional 125-pound bout.

Unlike the past two matches, Pitt lost last Thursday night.

The No. 20 Panthers (10-3, 3-0 EWL) dropped the first five bouts against No. 23 Kent State and ended up losing the match, 22-13.

“We just didn’t wrestle very well,” Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer said. “It wasn’t our best effort.”

The Panthers showed signs of a comeback late in the match winning three of the last five bouts but couldn’t overcome the lead amounted by the Golden Flashes from their first five wins. Of the seven defeats during the match, Jimmy Conroy, No. 17 Drew Headlee and Ethan Headlee all lost their matches in overtime periods.

“The effort was good in those overtime [matches], but we just didn’t wrestle smart,” Stottlemyer said. “We had chances to win all three matches.”

Next, the Panthers go back to Eastern Wrestling League competition as they travel to West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers Friday.

In the heavyweight bout, No. 13 Zach Sheaffer took on No. 16 Jeramil Porter. After a scoreless first period, Porter took down Sheaffer for two points and hurt his opponent’s right leg in the process. After about a minute, Sheaffer was ready to continue the bout but couldn’t defeat Porter.

One of the overtimes took place when Drew Headlee faced No. 19 Drew Lashaway in the 141-pound match. Headlee held a two-point lead with 15 seconds to go in the bout, but Lashaway tied the score with a takedown. In the overtime, Lashaway scored on another takedown for the 4-2 victory. Headlee and Sheaffer losing in the same dual match marked the first time all year that two of the four individually ranked Panthers have lost in the same match.

“For us to win, we need those guys to come up with victories,” Stottlemyer said of Sheaffer and Headlee.

No. 1 Keith Gavin continued his domination of 174-pound weight class as he scored a 17-5 major decision over Chris Estep. who spent most of his time in the ring circling away from Gavin.

“They just run from him,” Stottlemyer said. “He wants someone to go after him, he wants to be challenged, and [Estep] sure didn’t do that.”

In the final bout of the day, Dave Sullivan could end the match in a tie if he scored a pin fall over Eric Chine. With Pitt trailing 19-13, Chine took the match, 5-2, giving Kent State the 22-13 win over the Panthers.