March 22, 2008

Box Score

PITTSBURGH--The Pitt baseball team concluded its three-game series with rival West Virginia today at Hawley Field. The Panthers entered the game hoping to end a three-game losing skid, but were unable to weather an early West Virginia scoring storm and fell by a count of 8-1, dropping their record to 0-3 in conference play.

Pitt (6-11, 0-3) fell behind early after WVU produced some two-out lightning in the bottom of the first. Vince Belnome stepped to the plate and proceeded to single to right center, scoring teammate Tyler Kuhn. Two batters later, Austin Markel tripled to center off Pitt starter Brian Chrisman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin), plating two more Mountaineers. Jordon Yost then capped the inning with a double to left that brought Markel home.

The Mountaineers added four more runs in the bottom of the second to build an 8-0 advantage, a margin they held until the top of the fourth when Danny Lopez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) launched a solo shot against West Virginia's Stephen Morrison for the Panthers' lone run of the contest.

Lopez finished the day with two of the Panthers' three hits after going 2-4 from the plate and racked up a total five RBI over the three-game series.

Morrison picked up the win for the Mountaineers, while Chrisman suffered his second loss of the year for Pitt.

The Panthers will be back on the field Wednesday, March 26 in Columbus, Ohio, when they are scheduled to take on the Buckeyes of Ohio State at 2:05 p.m. They will continue their Big East schedule next weekend when Louisville visits Trees Field for a three-game series on March 28-30.