FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team split a doubleheader with Wisconsin Lutheran Thursday as part of Gene Cusic Classic action.
The Panthers (6-3) came out on top in game one 5-3 before dropping game two 5-4.
"We threw the ball well today in game one," Head Coach Zach Foster said. "We did what we had to at the plate. In game two we just couldn't put much together. We left key guys on base in some big moments, but that will come with time. Very proud of the way the guys battled today."
Alex Miles tossed six efficient innings in game one to pick up his first career win, striking out five, walking none and surrendering two earned.
Down 1-0 in the third, RBI singles from Robert Sawicki and Austin Parent put the Panthers ahead before a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kevin Rehak scoring Tyler Hoops gave the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
Wisconsin Lutheran added one in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, but the Panthers got it right back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run double from Hoops.
An RBI single for Wisconsin Lutheran in the sixth would bring the score to 5-3, but Ben Suter came on and shut the door for the Panthers in the seventh to earn his third save of the season.
In game two, Rehak drove an RBI single and Jake McNabb dropped in an RBI double to give the Panthers a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
But Wisconsin Lutheran answered immediately with an RBI single and double of their own to tie the game after one inning.
Both teams went quietly until a Wisconsin Lutheran RBI single and two-run double made up a three-run fourth inning to take a 5-2 lead.
In the sixth, Hoops scored Jason Lucarelli win a base hit and later scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to just one run.
That would be all the Panthers would get and Wisconsin Lutheran would hold on for the one-run victory.
Hoops and Lucarelli led the team with two hits apiece in game two.
Alex Andrzejewski started on the mound for the Panthers and delivered 3.2 innings while striking out three, walking one and surrendering five earned runs.
In relief, Sam Gwiazdinski threw 1.1 innings of scoreless ball while striking out two, and Nate Renick tossed the final frame.
The Panther pitching staff walked just one batter in game two.
Pitt-Bradford will be back in action with a single game against Rockford on Saturday at Player Development Complex starting at 9 a.m.