WASHINGTON, Pa. ? After the start was delayed two hours by rain, the Bobcat baseball squad got two runs in the fifth to tie the game and two more in the seventh that ultimately secured a 5-4 defeat of Pittsburgh in a non-conference contest Tuesday night at Falconi Field.

Zeke Isaacs (West Carrollton, Ohio) earned the victory with six strong innings in relief of Ohio starter John Angelicchi (Woodmere, Ohio), who recorded just two outs before he left the game. Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) went 3-for-5 at the plate and Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.) homered for the second time in as many days to lead the Bobcat offense.

The host Panthers (24-18) got on the board first with a single tally in the opening frame, but Sabatini?s two-out round-tripper in the top of the second knotted the score at 1-1 for Ohio (23-19-1).

Pittsburgh bounced right back to take a 3-1 lead with two runs in the second ? both unearned ? as a two-out error by Bobcat shortstop Bryant Witt (Powell, Ohio) prolonged the inning.

Ohio was able to answer with a pair of scores of its own in the fifth, however, to draw even again. With Jeff Barnyak now on in relief of Pitt starter Paul Nardozzi, Willie Walker (Marysville, Ohio) drew a leadoff walk and Jon Vondrell (Centerville, Ohio) singled up the middle. Witt then sacrificed both runners over a base and with two outs Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) reached on an error which allowed both Walker and Vondrell to score for a 3-3 tie.

Two innings later Vondrell got things started with his second-straight single and once again Witt was asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt, which moved Vondrell into scoring position. Bryan Buck (Hudson, Ohio) then reached on another Pittsburgh error and Vondrell came home all the way from second base for Ohio?s first lead of the night. Gressick then put the Bobcats up 5-3 with a single up the middle that plated Buck.

The Panthers would draw within one in the bottom of the eight as they scored off of Ohio reliever Yale Silverman (Baton Rouge, La.) to cut the Ohio lead to 5-4, but the Bobcats held on for their 12th victory in 14 midweek games this season and first over Pittsburgh since 2001.

Isaacs (2-2) allowed two run ? neither earned ? on six hits in six innings of work. Silverman threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts.

?We had to take (John) Angelicchi out in the first inning because his arm tightened up on him,? said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. ?Zeke Isaacs came on and did a great job, he kept us right there in the game and then Silverman came on in relief and did a great job.?

Sabatini, Vondrell, and Hammond each finished with two hits and Ben Crabtree's (Roxbury, Conn.) fourth inning single brought him one step closer to Ohio?s all-time hits record. The senior now needs 10 hits in the remaining eight scheduled games to eclipse Ryan Kyes? mark of 268.

Barnyak (2-1) took the loss in relief after allowing four runs, two of which were earned, on eight hits in five innings. Nardozzi allowed just one run on four hits with six strikeouts in his four innings.

Sean Conley went 3-for-4 at the plate to pace the Panther offensive effort.

With the victory, Ohio is now 2-0 against Big East Conference members. The Bobcats recorded an 11-10 victory over West Virginia on April 27.

?We just hope that is shows the Mid-American Conference can play with anybody,? Carbone said. ?The Big East is an outstanding baseball conference, so representing the MAC and playing those type of conferences, it?s nice to beat them.?

The Bobcats will be back in action this weekend when they host IPFW in a non-conference series at Bob Wren Stadium Friday through Sunday. Game times for both Friday and Saturday?s contest are set for 7 p.m., while Sunday?s series finale, Fan Appreciation Day, will commence at 1 p.m. All fans will receive free admission for the Bobcats? final Sunday home game of the season.