Boxers Split Opening Duals, Earn Big Win Over Highline
FOREST GROVE – Pacific opened their 2012-13 dual meet schedule with a split Sunday afternoon, knocking off Highline CC before taking a loss to upstart Simpson (Calif.) in men's wrestling action at the Stoller Center.
In their opener, the Boxers won three of the first five matches and received bonus point victories from
Bruce Balcita (Jr., Myrtle Creek, Ore.) and
Caleb Malychewski (Jr., Camas, Wash.) to score a 23-18 win over Highline CC. It is the first time that Head Coach
Severin Walsh has beat the Thunderbirds, who were among teams receiving votes in the preseason NJCAA Top-20 Wrestling Poll.
In the nightcap,
Eric Harder's (So., Bethesda, Md.) pin at 133 pounds and
Dillon Ford's (So., Montesano, Wash.) dominant technical fall were not enough to stop the NAIA-member Redhawks, who used three pins to come away with the 28-20 victory.
Harder, Ford and Malychewski all won both of their matches to lead the Boxers, who completed the day with a 1-1 dual meet record. Malychewski extended his Pacific best record to 12-1 on the season, which includes 12 straight victories.
Pacific's two matches finished a full afternoon of wrestling action that included four dual matches. Simpson came away winning all three of their matches, including a 28-19 win over a “B” squad from national junior college power Clackamas CC and a 23-22 win over Highline.
PACIFIC 23, HIGHLINE CC 18
After giving up a 7-0 decision to the Thunderbirds in the opening 125-pound bout, Pacific went on to win six of the next seven matches to secure their first dual meet victory of the season. After Harder accepted a forfeit at 133 pounds, Baxter opened up a 9-3 Pacific lead with a closely-contested 5-4 decision win over Max Welch.
Sean Weissenberg brought Highline within 9-6 with his decision at 149 pounds, but the Boxers would win the next four matches to put things out of reach. Ford started the string with an 8-4 decision win over Lonnie Hurley at 157 pounds, and Balcita followed up with bonus points as he pulled away in the final two rounds to score a 15-3 major decision over Hakeem Smith at 165 pounds.
Chris Harlin (Jr., Issaquah, Wash.) made the most of his first match of the season, building an early 6-2 lead after one round and went on to beat Kario Wallin, 8-4, in the 174-pound bout. Malychewksi put the punctuation on Pacific's winning ways with a 12-1 major decision over Craig Dyess at 184 pounds, his fifth win by major decision this season.
Highline closed the match with two victories, accepting a forfeit at 197 pounds and receiving a pin from Ben Tynan at heavyweight.
SIMPSON (CALIF.) 28, PACIFIC 20
Pacific could not get the close matches to fall their way against the upstart Redhawks, who are a first year NAIA program. The Boxers went ahead 6-3 early thanks to Harder's second round pin of Chan Chao at 133 pounds, but a major decision by Anthony Vega at 141 pounds and a pin by Efren Rodriguez at 149 pounds put Simpson up by a 13-6 margin.
Ford responded by putting together a dominant match against Richie Ortiz at 157 pounds that improved the sophomore transfer's record to 7-4 on the season as he scored a two-round, 15-0 technical fall.
Michael Tyner (So., Aloha, Ore.) followed by accepting a forfeit at 165 pounds, which gave Pacific the short lived 17-13 lead.
In the next match, Brady Beamon gave Balcita little chance to get his game going, knocking off the junior with a 2 minute, 5 second pin that gave the Redhawks the lead for good. After a decision win by Matthew Tsarnas in the 184-pound class, Malychewski wrestled up one class to bring the Boxers within striking distance with a 7-3 decision over Daniel Moor at 197 pounds. Pacific needed a win to take the match, but Austin Lobsinger rose to the occasion for the Redhawks as he took a second round pin to secure Simpson's third team victory of the day.
Pacific will continue a string of 11 straight dual meet competitions in two weeks as they host Southwestern Oregon CC on Thurs., Dec. 13. The match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. A live video webcast will be available at goboxers.com/webcasts.
Pacific 23, Highline CC 18
125: Brandon Leach (HCC) dec. Daylin Ruggerio (PAC), 7-0 (3-0 HCC)
133:
Eric Harder (PAC) win by forfeit (6-3 PAC)
141:
Ryan Baxter (PAC) dec. Max Welch (HCC), 5-4 (9-3 PAC)
149: Sean Weissenberg (HCC) dec.
Will Patrick (PAC), 11-5 (9-6 PAC)
157:
Dillon Ford (PAC) dec. Lonnie Hurley (HCC), 8-4 (12-6 PAC)
165:
Bruce Balcita (PAC) maj. dec. Hakeem Smith (HCC), 15-3 (16-6 PAC)
174:
Chris Harlin (PAC) dec. Kario Wallin (HCC), 8-4 (19-6 PAC)
184:
Caleb Malychewski (PAC) maj. dec. Craig Dyess (HCC), 12-1 (23-6 PAC)
197: Lucas Huyber (HCC) win by forfeit (23-12 PAC)
285: Ben Tynan (HCC) win by fall over
Nik Streng (PAC), 5:37 (23-18 HCC)
Exhibition: Deondre Sparks (HCC) dec.
Allin Franco (PAC), 5-2
Attendance: 75
Referee: Jeremy Rhodes
Dual Records: Pacific 1-0; Highline CC 0-4
Simpson (Calif.) 28, Pacific 20
125: Hayden Zimmerman (SU) dec. Daylin Ruggerio (PAC), 10-6 (3-0 SU)
133:
Eric Harder (PAC) win by fall over Chan Chao (SU), 3:24 (6-3 PAC)
141: Anthony Vega (SU) maj. dec.
Ryan Baxter (PAC), 11-3 (7-6 SU)
149: Efren Rodriguez (SU) win by fall over
Will Patrick (PAC), 3:59 (13-6 SU)
157:
Dillon Ford (PAC) win by tech. fall over Richie Ortiz (SU), 15-0, 5:00 (13-12 SU)
165:
Michael Tyner (PAC) win by forfeit (17-13 PAC)
174: Brady Beamon (SU) win by fall over
Bruce Balcita (PAC), 2:05 (19-17 SU)
184: Matthew Tsarnas (SU) dec.
Chris Harlin (PAC), 8-3 (22-17 SU)
197:
Caleb Malychewski (PAC) dec. Daniel Moor (SU), 7-3 (22-20 SU)
285: Austin Lobsinger (SU) win by fall over
Evan Schreurs (PAC), 4:24 (28-20 SU)
Attendance: 30
Referee: Jeremy Rhodes
Dual Records: Simpson (Calif.) 2-2, Pacific 1-1
