March 20, 2008

Box Score

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Pitt Panther baseball team concluded its five-game Florida swing with a matchup against Cornell on Sunday at the Santaluces Complex. The Panthers fell behind early and couldn't muster enough offense to complete a comeback, falling to the Bears by a count of 8-5.

Mickey Brodsky got the Bears on the board in the first with a single that scored Brian Kaufman. After a fielder's choice, Brodsky and teammate Jimmy Heinz were both brought home by a Kyle Groth single off of Panther starter Hugh Henry (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Mt. Vernon).

Pitt answered in the second with the help of a few Cornell miscues. Philip Koneiczny (Phoenix, Ariz./Mt. Pointe) started the action by drawing a walk off Cornell's Matt Hilll. Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Central) then got in the way of an errant Hill pitch that put men on first and second. A Heinz error then allowed both Kielty and Konieczny to come home, slicing the Bear's lead to just one run.

Cornell fired back with three more runs in the third, extending their cushion to four before Pitt could get another opportunity to retaliate. When the Panthers got their opportunity, they did not squander it. Dan Williams (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) stepped to the plate and smoked a triple to lead off the bottom of the third. Freshman Joe Leonard (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) then singled, scoring Williams and bringing Pitt to within three. Jordan Herr (Lancaster, Pa./Delaware) added a single of his own, advancing Leonard to third and setting up Chris Tonte (Pittston, Pa./Lackawanna CC) with an RBI opportunity. Tonte did not disappoint, as he singled to bring Leonard and make the score 6-4.

The offensive power fizzled in the latter innings for both teams, with the Bears mustering only two runs and the Panthers just one. Pitt's lone run came in exciting fashion, however, as Herr launched a solo shot, his first of the season, in the eighth inning to make it just a two-run game. He finished the day 3-4 from the plate with two singles to go along with that long ball.

The Bears added an insurance run in the ninth to seal the victory and set the final score. Hill picked up the win, while Henry suffered the loss, his second of the season.

Pitt will look ahead to a game with Akron on Wednesday in Ohio before opening their Big East slate against rival West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., on Thursday.