With Sam Sherlock not able to wrestle at 141 pounds, it was fair to wonder how the Nittany Lions would wrestle in the opening portion of the bout sheet inside a raucous Stabler Arena, on the Lehigh University campus.
But after five bouts, Penn State (2-1) looked like a team that is defending a national championship, winning four of the first five bouts, three by major decision, and never relinquishing its 15-3 intermission lead while dominating No. 8 Lehigh from top to bottom in a 24-12 victory.
Ed Ruth’s six-point injury default victory over Nathaniel Brown at 174 pounds was the dual-clinching victory, but it was clinched well before that. Derek Reber was the only Nittany Lion wrestler to lose on the first half of the card, which saw a three-straight major decision get Penn State out to a quick lead.
Nico Megaludis started off with a decision victory over fellow freshman Mason Beckmen, 4-0, at 125 pounds. And after Reber lost 10-7 at 133, Bryan Pearsall, Frank Molinaro and Dylan Alton rolled off three consecutive major decision victories. The most impressive came from Pearsall in his first dual meet match of the season, as he dominated Lehigh’s Jimmy Carucci with 4:17 in riding time that led to a 12-2 decision.
“We always look for the first guy to get us started, and Nico does a fantastic job of that. He got us going, and we carried that through the whole line-up,” 157-pounder Dylan Alton told the Penn State Radio Network after the match.
Penn State went 1-2 in the three marquee match-ups of the night, as David Taylor stole the lone victory against a ranked wrestler, winning a gritty 8-5 decision over No. 9 Brandon Hatchett. Taylor found himself trailing 3-2 at the end of the first period but used a takedown, escape and takedown to earn the eight points needed for victory.
Quentin Wright and Cameron Wade were not as successful against ranked opponents, as Wright dropped his match to Intermat’s No. 1 wrestler at 184-pounds, Robby Hamlin, by a score of 8-3. The match that was never in doubt for the undefeated Hamlin.
Wade dropped behind 1-0 at the end of the second period and couldn’t overcome an early-third-period takedown by No. 3 Zack Rey, last year’s national champion at the weight class. Wade lost 3-2.
Penn State returns to the mat when West Virginia visits for a dual meet at 2 p.m. Sunday in Rec Hall.
Notes
- Sam Sherlock and Morgan McIntosh did not wrestle for the Nittany Lions as both nurse injuries that occurred prior to the match. Sherlock is still rehabbing the ankle he injured during the Nittany Lion Open, and McIntosh could have wrestled if needed. But with the match in hand by the time 197 rolled around, Penn State sent out Justin Ortega to give McIntosh a rest as he continues to get healthy from a tweaked knee and illness.
- Ed Ruth’s win by medical default came after Brown suffered an upper-body injury during the second period, with Ruth leading 12-2.
- The bout was the 100th between Penn State and Lehigh, with Penn State now holding a 63-34-3 series lead.
- When West Virginia comes to town Sunday, the Mountaineers will put their perfect 2-0 record on the line. West Virginia has just two ranked wrestlers, No. 17 Matt Ryan at 174, and No. 19 Nathan Pennesi at 141 pounds.
- Jeff Byers hinted on Friday’s radio broadcast that 133-pounder Frank Martelloti, who has not wrestled for Penn State in more than a year, may be back on the team as early as next Sunday, when the Nittany Lions will travel to Lock Haven.
- Paid attendance was 5,584, according to GoPSUsports.com.
Full match results, courtesy of Penn State Wrestling:
125: #15 Nico Megaludis PSU dec. Mason Beckman LU, 4-0 3-0
133: Chris Dinnien LU dec. Derek Reber PSU, 10-7 3-3
141: Bryan Pearsall PSU maj. dec. Jimmy Carucci LU, 12-2 7-3
149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Anthony Salupo LU, 14-3 11-3
157: #10 Dylan Alton PSU maj. dec. Sean Bilodeau LU, 10-1 15-3
165: #1 David Taylor PSU dec. #9 Brandon Hatchett LHU, 8-5 18-3
174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU inj. def. Nathaniel Brown LU, (5:00, Ruth up 12-1) 24-3
184: #1 Robert Hamlin LU dec. #5 Quentin Wright PSU, 8-3 24-6
197: #7 Joe Kennedy LU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 2-0 24-9
285: #3 Zach Rey LU dec. #8 Cameron Wade PSU, 3-2 24-12
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