At 125 pounds, Pitt's Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) took on No. 19 Chad Sportelli. Gentzle was the first to score, earning two on a takedown in the first period. Sportelli came back with an escape. Another escape by Sportelli in the second period tied it up heading into the third. Gentzle earned a point for riding time, giving him the 3-2 decision. Pitt took a three-point lead.
Next up was 133 pounds as Pitt's No. 13 Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) faced Danny Mitcheff. The two went head-to-head earlier this year at the Southern Scuffle where Headlee picked up a 9-0 major decision. The two wrestlers were scoreless in the first period. Headlee scored on an escape in the second to take the lead. Mitcheff scored two on a takedown, and Headlee tied it up with another escape. As the third period was scoreless, the bout went into overtime. Mitcheff scored on a reversal to take the lead, but Headlee came back immediately with a reversal to tie it up. An escape by Mitcheff won the bout, 5-4, tying up the team score at three.
Pitt's Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) went up against Kent State's Drew Lashaway at 141 pounds. Lashaway was the first to score, getting an escape in the first. Ciampoli came back with an escape to make the score 2-1 at the end of the first. Ciampoli tied it up at two with an escape in the second. Lashaway took the lead again with an escape in the final period. Another takedown was enough to give Lashaway the 5-3 decision. The Golden Flashes moved into the lead, 6-3.
At 149 pounds, Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) wrestled Kent State's Jason McGee. In the first period, McGee took a quick lead, scoring two on a takedown. Generalovich had an escape, but McGee scored on another takedown for the 4-1 lead heading into the second period. The two were scoreless in the second. In the final period, McGee scored on a reversal and a takedown while Generalovich had two escapes. McGee went on to win the bout, 9-3. Kent State moved to a 9-3 lead.
Pitt's No. 8 Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) faced Kent State's Kurt Gross at 157 pounds. Kocher was the first to score, earning two on a takedown. Gross came back with an escape to make the score 2-1 at the end of the first. In the second period, Kocher had two escapes and Gross had a takedown. As Kocher held a 4-3 lead entering the final period, Gross scored early on an escape to tie it up at four. Kocher had a takedown, giving him the 6-4 win and putting the Panthers back on the board. Kent state now held a three-point lead, 9-6.
Next up was Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) against Kent State's Sli Bostelman at 165 pounds. The two went head-to-head at the Southern Scuffle in December where Richmond won an 11-8 decision. Richmond had three takedowns in the first period for a 6-2 lead. Two more takedowns in the second period increased Richmond's lead, 10-3. Richmond picked up three more points in the final period for the 13-5 major decision. Pitt moved into the lead, 10-9.
At 174 pounds, Pitt's No. 3 Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) wrestled Kent State's Aaron Miller. Gavin was the first to score, earning two on a takedown. He went on to earn two more on a near fall, giving him the 4-0 lead at the end of the first period. In the second period, Miller had an escape to get on the board, but Gavin maintained a 4-1 lead. Gavin had a reversal and a takedown in the final period for the 9-3 decision. Pitt continued to stay in the lead, 13-9.
The next bout was between Pitt's Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and Kent State's No. 20 Eric Chine. In the first period, Chine scored on a late takedown for the two-point lead. Deliere had an escape in the second to get on the board though Chine kept the lead, 2-1. In the final period, Chine scored three for the 5-3 decision. Pitt held onto a one-point lead, 13-12.
At 197 pounds, Pitt's Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) took on Kent State's No. 20 Ardian Ramadani. The two wrestlers were scoreless in the first period. Cassidy had two escapes in the second, and Ramadani had a takedown tying the score at two heading into the final period. In the third, Ramadani had a takedown for the 5-3 decision. Kent State moved back into the lead, 15-13.
In the final bout of the day, Pitt's Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) faced Kent State's No. 19 Jermail Porter. The two have faced off twice this season Porter winning both contests. In the first period, the two wrestlers were scoreless. Sheaffer scored on an escape in the second to take a one-point lead heading into the final period. Sheaffer went on to earn a point for riding time to win a 2-0 decision over Porter.
Next up for the Panthers is their final home meet of the season when they host EWL rival West Virginia on Friday, Feb. 2. The Backyard Brawl is scheduled for 7 p.m., in the Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt will then have three dual meets on the road to conclude their regular season.
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