The Pittsburgh Harlequins scored a road win Saturday, beating Washington Rugby Club 49-23 at Rosecroft Raceway in Oxon Hill.

Ben Paul opened the scoring for Pittsburgh, running in a try between the posts. A conversion by rookie scrumhalf Evan McNenly put the visitors up 7-0.

A very dominant forward pack didn’t waste any time adding to the point total as Anthony Ciotti led several phases inside the opposition half and touched down himself. A tough uphill conversion from the far sideline was slotted by McNenly, extending the lead to 14-0.

Washington crawled back into the game over next 20 minutes, slotting a pair of penalties to cut the deficit to just 8.

As the clock ticked closer to halftime, Pittsburgh hit its stride and excellent support in the backs led to a McNenly try and conversion. With no time left in the half, the Harlequin backline showed its stamina and came up with another converted try for a 28-6 halftime lead.

Halftime was a brief respite from the heat, and after a few minutes to hydrate and recover in the shade, the Quins forwards continued to dominate play both offensively and defensively. Nate Verner came in to add some fresh legs to the pack, as the Quins continued to use the entire field, and the centers systematically found space for two more tries.

With 20 minutes left to play and the game well in hand, the Quins scored their final tryof the day, as the forwards added to their tally. Washington managed three late tries after Pittsburgh picked up two yellow cards to.  

Sept. 15th the Harlequins host NOVA, who is coming off a 34-27 win against visiting Norfolk, while Washington has a bye week.