Pitt wrestling pulls out victory against Clarion

After a loss to the Mountaineers last week, the Panther wrestling team found its way back… After a loss to the Mountaineers last week, the Panther wrestling team found its way back to glory with a 19-13 victory over the Clarion Golden Eagles.

Drew Headlee got things going for Pitt, while Matt Kocher and Zach Doll notched close decisions at pivotal moments in the match. Josh Birt sealed up the victory with a major decision over Clarion’s Charlie Cilinski. The Panthers victory improves their record to 7-5 overall, 3-1 in the Eastern Wrestling League.

Headlee started it off with a 6-2 decision over Clarion’s Peter Derstine at 125 pounds. Derstine came into the match with a record of 25-9.

Mike Ciotti earned another decision win for Pitt by defeating Louis Russo, 8-2, but the Golden Eagles’ Frank Edgar scored a 3-2 victory over Pitt’s Ronald Tarquinio for his second win in the five matches the two have had over the last two seasons.

With the score 6-3 in favor of the Panthers, Kocher pulled out a 1-0 overtime win over T.J. McCance.

“Kocher did a great job,” head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. “He has been struggling as of late. The kid he beat today picked up a win over the same wrestler that Matt lost to at West Virginia, so that should really boost his confidence.”

Clarion shut down Pitt’s momentum with a major decision at 157 pounds when Chris Horning shutout Donald Rush 10-0. But another leader stepped up again for Pitt; Doll wrestled his way to a 1-0 decision over Clarion’s Jeremy Reitz.

“He needed that win,” Stottlemyer said. “[Doll] was also struggling.”

Francis Iorfido kept the Panthers on a roll with a win at 174 pounds over the Golden Eagles’ Aaron Wright to increase the Panthers’ lead to 15-7. Determined to pull out the win, Clarion’s Kyle Cothcart kept the Golden Eagles in the meet with a 3-0 defeat of Pitt’s Michael Heist to cut the Panther lead to only five.

The final two matches would decide the team winner, and the fans knew it. A number of Pitt chants arose from the stands as Birt accumulated six takedowns against Clarion’s Charlie Cilinski.

The Pitt faithful counted off the final seconds, and Birt gained a 15-5 major decision to the roar of “Let’s go, Pitt” coming from the stands.

With the score 19-10 in favor of Pitt, the two heavyweights ended the night with a brawl of a bout. Both wrestlers recorded reversal after reversal until Clarion’s Matt Wilcox walked away victorious over Pitt’s Travis Shirley with a score of 9-7.

“You just have to wrestle when you have to, not when you want to,” Stottlemyer said about Shirley’s loss.

The Panther wrestlers continue EWL action Friday night when they welcome Lock Haven to the Fitzgerald Field House; the contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

“They are a better team, so it will be a tougher one than this one, and you see how close this match was,” Stottlemyer said. “We just have to toughen up.”