Sacred Heart rallies to nip Bloomsburg by one to win seventh match

FAIRFIELD, February 9, 2020 – Sacred Heart won four of the first five matches to take a nine-point lead over visiting Bloomsburg University and then rallied by capturing two of the final three matches to win their third straight match with a 18-17 victory on Sunday.

Sacred Heart (7-3) has won six of their last seven dual meets. It’s the most wins in a single season for the Pioneers since winning seven meets in 2009.

Bloomsburg took their first lead of the day, 13-12, after Josh Mason (133) pinned Sacred Heart’s Kyle Randall in 15 seconds. But the Pioneers’ Gerard Daly (141) outlasted Bloomsburg’s Marlon Argueta-Diaz (Platt-Meriden), 11-8 and Sacred Heart’s Nick Palumbo (148) beat Aaron Coleman, 8-4.

With a takedown with 1:05 left, Diaz tied the match with Daly at 8-8. But Daly escaped with 20 seconds remaining and got a takedown with seconds remaining to earn the 11-8 victory and give the Pioneers a 15-13 lead.

Palumbo grabbed an early 4-0 lead thanks to a pair of first period takedowns. Coleman rallied and cut the lead to 6-4 with an escape in the third period. But Palumbo clinched the victory with his third takedown of the match with seven seconds left and an 8-4 win.

That left Sacred Heart with an 18-13 lead forcing Bloomsburg’s Alex Cardia to get a technical fall to tie or a pin over Shaun Williams for the win. Cardia won his match, 11-0, but it wasn’t enough the Huskies (3-7).

Sacred Heart took an early 9-0 lead with wins from Brandon Levesque (165), Newtown native Joe Accousti (174) and Kyle Davis (184) with a 7-5 overtime win over No. 11 ranked Trevor Allard.

Davis’ win was huge for the Pioneers and handed Allard (11-2) just his second loss of the season. Trailing by two, Davis got a takedown in the final seconds of the second period to tie the match at 3-3.

Davis got a takedown with 31 seconds left to take a 5-3 lead but Allard escaped to cut the lead to one, 5-4. Allard picked up a point for riding time to tie the match at 5-5. But in overtime, it was Davis with the takedown for the win.

It was the second time this season that Sacred Heart has won by a point. The Pioneers beat Franklin & Marshall, 18-17, in January.

Sacred Heart (7-3, 2-2 EIWA) returns to action next Sunday, February 16 when they Pioneers host Columbia (4-2, 4-3 EIWA) in an EIWA match beginning at 2 p.m. in the Pitt Center.

Sacred Heart 18, Bloomsburg 17
At Fairfield
165: Brandon Levesque (SH) dec. Nate Newberry, 9-2; 174: Joe Accousti (SH) dec. Anthony Vetrano, 3-2; 184: Kyle Davis (SH) dec. Trevor Allard, 7-5; 197: Kyle Murphy (B) dec. Robert Hetherman, 3-1; 285: Connor Fredericks (SH) dec. Jarrett Walters, 6-4; 125: Christian Garrone (B) dec. Sean Faraon, 11-1; 133: Josh Mason (B) pin Kyle Randall, 0:15; 141: Gerard Daly (SH) dec. Marlon Argueta-Diaz, 11-8; 148: Nick Palumbo (SH) dec. Aaron Coleman, 8-4; 157: Alex Cardia (B) dec. Shaun Williams, 11-0
Records: Sacred Heart 7-3, Bloomsburg 3-7