University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Bucknell
Panthers Finish Strong, Beat Bucknell 22-11
11/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
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PITTSBURGH - In its home opener, the No. 14 University of Pittsburgh wrestling team won its six of the final seven bouts and double dup Bucknell 22-11 on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Fitzgerald Field House.
The win moves the Panthers to 3-0 on the season, while Bucknell drops to 0-1 following its season-opening match. This is the second straight year Pitt has opened the campaign with three straight dual wins and just the fourth time in the last 11 seasons.
Similar to the match two nights ago at Edinboro, Pitt got off to a slow start in the lightweight bouts, winning just one of three to find itself in an early 8-3 hole. Once again, however, the Panthers asserted their dominance at the middle and heavy weight matches, taking six straight matches from 149 pounds to 197 pounds.
Five Panthers wrestlers kept their unblemished records, with four of them improving to 3-0.
Nationally-ranked No. 16 Sophomore Mikey Racciato got the run started with a hard-fought, 6-4 decision over Victor Lopez at 149 pounds. Redshirt seniors Troy Reaghard and No. 5 Max Thomusseit posted back-to-back victories at 174 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively, for the third time to begin the season. Thomusseit had the biggest win of the night with an 18-6 major decision versus Tom Sleigh, Pitt's only bonus point of the night, while Reaghard earned a 6-2 decision against Joe Krulock. Redshirt junior Nick Bonaccorsi rounded out Pitt's perfect 3-0 wrestlers with his 5-1 decision over Tyler Lyster at 197 pounds.
In addition to the four wrestlers pushing their marks to 3-0, redshirt freshman Cody Wiercioch just missed out the first major decision of his career and settled for a 12-5 decision over Robert Schlitt at 165 pounds. Wiercioch held just a one-point advantage with 30 seconds remaining, but a pair of near falls pushed his lead out of reach.
It was redshirt junior Ronnie Garbinsky, however, who gave Pitt the lead for good with his close 7-6 decision over Rustin Barrick at 157 pounds. With 20 seconds left, Barrick tied the score with a takedown, but Garbinsky scored an escape nine seconds later, securing the win in a crucial swing bout and keeping the momentum with the Panthers.
Pitt first got on the scoreboard in the 133 pound match as redshirt freshman Nick Zanetta handed Zach Valley a 5-1 decision, which tied the match 3-3 at the time.
Of Pitt's three losses, two of them were to ranked opponents. Opening the night at 125 pounds, freshman Dom Forys dropped an 8-6 decision to No. 20 Paul Petrov in a back-and-forth affair that saw four lead changes. No. 13 Joe Stolfi ended the night for Bucknell topping sophomore John Rizzo in a 7-2 decision at 285 pounds. Both the loss for Forys and Rizzo was the first of their careers.
Up next for Pitt is another tough test with No. 15 Lehigh coming to town on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Former Pitt two-time National Champion and four-time All-American Pat Santoro is head coach of the Mountain Hawks.
125: #20 Paul Petrov (B) dec. Dom Forys (P), 8-6; Bucknell leads, 3-0
133: Nick Zanetta (P) dec. Zach Valley (B), 5-1; Match tied, 3-3
141: Tyler Smith (B) tech fall Ben Ross (P), 18-3; Bucknell leads, 8-3
149: #16 Mikey Racciato (P) dec. Victor Lopez (B), 6-4;Bucknell leads, 8-6
157: Ronnie Garbinsky (P) dec. Rustin Barrick (B), 7-6; Pitt leads, 9-8
165: Cody Wiercioch (P) dec. Robert Schlitt (B), 12-5; Pitt leads, 12-8
174: Troy Reaghard (P) dec. Joey Krulock (B), 6-2; Pitt leads, 15-8
184: #5 Max Thomusseit (P) m. dec. Tom Sleigh (B), 18-6; Pitt leads, 19-8
197: #7 Nick Bonaccorsi (P) dec. Tyler Lyster (B), 5-1; Pitt leads, 22-8
285: #13 Joe Stolfi (B) dec. John Rizzo (P), 7-2; Pitt wins 22-11
