PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Dec. 10, 2015) – Patricio Lugo and Casey Fuller remained undefeated, but Edinboro won just one other match as the Fighting Scots dropped a 24-9 decision to Pittsburgh at Fitzgerald Field House. Edinboro has now lost six of the last seven meetings against their former EWL rivals. The Fighting Scots fall to 4-3 while Pittsburgh is now 4-1.
 
Lugo improved to 16-0 at 149 lbs. with a 12-6 decision over Robert Lee. The true freshman dominated the match and appeared on his way to his tenth win by bonus points, but Lee's takedown in the final seconds denied that. Lugo led 6-2 after one period thanks to three takedowns, and he would add two more in the second period.
 
Fuller avenged a 5-3 loss to Cody Wiercioch a year ago with a 4-3 decision at 165 lbs. this time around. There was no score after one period and it was 3-3 after two periods as the two traded takedowns and escapes. The difference came in the third period as Fuller worked a quick escape for the winning point. He is now 15-0 while Wiercioch fell to 7-3.
 
Edinboro's third win came courtesy of another of the four true freshmen in the starting lineup. Spencer Nagy won his battle with Ronnie Garbinsky at 157 lbs. by a 4-3 decision in what is likely the biggest win of his young career.
 
Nagy trailed 2-0 after one period as Garbinsky rode him for over two minutes after a takedown. But Nagy picked up a stalling point in the second period and never let Garbinsky out while maintaining the top position. Nagy's escape in the third period tied it at 2-2, and Nagy came up with the winning takedown with about 30 seconds remaining. Garbinsky would escape for the final score. Nagy improved to 16-8 while Garbinsky is 6-5.
 
Pittsburgh would jump out to a 12-0 lead with wins in the first three matches. In a bit of an upset at 125 lbs., freshman LJ Bentley (8-3) handed redshirt freshman Sean Russell (12-3) a 6-5 defeat. The bout was tied at 3-3 with each wrestler recording takedowns and escapes in the first period. Bentley would pick up a point in the second period for a 4-3 lead, and he led 5-3 thanks to a third-period escape. Russell tied the match with a takedown in the final thirty seconds, but Bentley would escape for the 6-5 lead.
 
Dom Forys, ranked 19th by InterMat at 133 lbs., followed with a fall over freshman Tony Recco at 2:21 at 133 lbs. Forys improved to 9-1, while Recco is now 3-11.
 
Freshman Nate Hagan (12-10) nearly came up with an upset of ninth-ranked Mikey Racciato (5-2) at 141 lbs., but would fall 7-5. He trailed 4-1 after a pair of Racciato takedowns in the first period. Racciato's lead grew to 5-1 with an escape, but Hagan would take Racciato down twice in the second period to trail 7-5. He was unable to come up with the tying takedown in the third after a neutral start.
The wins by Lugo, Nagy and Fuller pulled the Fighting Scots to within 12-9, but a wild 174 lb. match turned the match around. Patrick Jennings squared off against freshman TeShan Campbell. In a back-an-forth battle, Campbell rallied late to surprise Jennings, 14-12.
 
The difference was four Campbell takedowns compared to none by Jennings. Jennings grabbed an 8-4 lead after a period. Campbell opened the scoring with a takedown, but a Jennings' reversal and four near-fall points made it 6-2. The two then traded reversals. Jennings made it 10-6 after two periods as his two escapes balanced a Campbell takedown.
 
A crazy third period saw Campbell pick up a point for stalling, and then a reversal made it 10-9. With just under a minute to go Jennings escaped to lead 11-9, but Campbell knotted it with his third takedown. Jennings got out to take a 12-11 lead, but by this time Campbell had riding time. His takedown in the final seconds and the riding time point accounted for the 14-12 final score. Jennings is now 10-5 while Campbell improved to 7-3.
 
Pittsburgh's Zach Bruce (5-6) followed with a 6-2 decision over Chris Laird (3-11) at 184 lbs. Laird's escape early in the third period knotted the score at 2-2, but a four-point move on a takedown and two near-fall points in the final forty seconds gave Bruce the winning points.
 
Nick Bonaccorsi won a 4-0 decision over Vince Pickett at 197 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Bonaccorsi gained control with an escape and takedown in the second period. He rode out Pickett in the third period to gain a riding time point. Pickett fell to 10-5 while Bonaccorsi is now 7-2.
 
In a battle of two good, young heavyweights, 19th-ranked Ryan Solomon held off Billy Miller, 2-1. The two traded escapes to start the second and third periods. The winning point was courtesy of a stalling point in the final seconds. Miller dropped to 13-2 while Solomon is 5-2.
 
Edinboro will return to action with an EWL dual at Cleveland State on Saturday, December 19.                  


PITTSBURGH 24, EDINBORO 9
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Fitzgerald Field House
Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
125 -- LJ Bentley (UP) dec. Sean Russell (EU) 6-5               
133 – #19 Dom Forys (UP) fall over Tony Recco (EU) 2:21                              
141 -- #9 Mikey Racciato (UP) dec. Nate Hagan (EU) 7-5
149 -- Patricio Lugo (EU) dec. Robert Lee (UP) 12-6                          
157 – Spencer Nagy (EU) dec. Ronnie Garbinsky (UP) 4-3             
165 -- Casey Fuller (EU) dec. Cody Wiercioch (UP) 4-3                                     
174 -- TeShan Campbell (UP) dec. Patrick Jennings (EU) 14-12                    
184 – Zach Bruce (UP) dec.  Chris Laird (EU) 6-2
197 – Nick Bonaccorsi (UP)  dec. Vince Pickett (EU) 4-0
Hwt. – #19 Ryan Solomon (UP) dec. Billy Miller (EU) 2-1
 
Records: Edinboro 4-3; Pittsburgh 4-1