Ohio State Wrestling Pulls Out Upset at No. 25 Pittsburgh
Nail’s 3-2 decision in final match at HWT gives Buckeyes 20-17 win
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State wrestling team (6-4, 0-0 Big Ten) won its fifth straight dual Friday by a 20-17 score over Pittsburgh at its Peterson Events Center. The match was tied at 17-17 heading into the final bout, where freshman Kirk Nail gave the Buckeyes the win with a 3-2 decision at HWT.
Nail, from Hilliard, Ohio, used an early takedown for a quick 2-1 lead after allowing an escape to Pittsburgh’s Zach Schaefer to end the first period. Schaefer tied the bout at 2-2 with another escape in the second period. In the third stanza, Nail registered an escape of his own and held off Schaefer for the win.
Ohio State jumped out to a 6-0 lead with decision wins at 125 by Nathan Costello (Jr., Maple Heights, Ohio) and at 133 by T.J. Enright (Fr., Galloway, Ohio). Costello, who now has won four of his last five matches, used a 9-2 score to defeat Pitt’s Zach Bowman before Enright was taken to overtime to earn his 3-1 decision over Mike Ciotti. Enright used a reversal in the third overtime for the deciding score.
After the Panthers got on the board with a decision at 141, junior Steve Wolery (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio) answered with a his first technical fall of the season at 149. Wolery reached a 17-1 advantage at the 5:55 mark of the match to give the Buckeyes an 11-3 lead.
Pittsburgh would counter by winning the next four weight classes. Ohio State’s Keegan Mueller (Fr., Dallas, Texas) and John Vogel (Fr., Columbus, Ohio) dropped a decision and a major decision at 157 and 165 before Nathaniel Augustson (Jr., Rio Rancho, N.M.) and Alex Picazo (So., Grandview, Ohio) fell via decision to set the score at 17-11 in the Panther’s favor.
In need of six points to tie the dual, Ohio State’s J.D. Bergman (So., Oak Harbor, Ohio) complied, scoring his sixth fall of the season over Pitt’s Lou Thomas at 197 pounds. Bergman pinned Thomas at the 1:47 mark to rally the Buckeyes to a 17-17 draw heading into the deciding bout at HWT.
Ohio State concludes the weekend road swing with a dual at No. 11 Cornell at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Ohio State 20, No. 25 Pittsburgh 17
125 – Nathan Costello (OS) dec. Zach Bowman (P), 9-2 Ohio State leads, 3-0
133 – #14 T.J. Enright (OS) dec. Mike Ciotti (P), 3-1 OT Ohio State leads, 6-0
141 – #5 Ronald Tarquinio (P) dec. Jason Johnstone (OS), 6-3 Ohio State leads, 6-3
149 – Steve Wolery (OS) tech. fall Julian Warshaw (P), 17-1, 5:55 Ohio State leads, 11-3
157 – #12 Matt Kocher (P) dec. Keegan Mueller (OS), 7-0 Ohio State leads, 11-6
165 – Justin Nestor (P) maj. dec. John Vogel (OS), 11-3 Ohio State leads, 11-10
174 – Zachariah Doll (P) dec. Nate Augustson (OS), 7-4 Pittsburgh leads, 13-11
184 – Eric Cassidy (P) maj. dec. Alex Picazo (OS), 12-2 Pittsburgh leads, 17-11
197 – #4 J.D. Bergman (OS) pinned Lou Thomas (P), 1:47 Match tied, 17-17
HWT – Kirk Nail (OS) dec. Zach Sheaffer (P), 3-2 Ohio State wins, 20-17
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