March 26, 2008

Box Score

COLUMBUS, OHIO--The Pitt baseball team dropped its fifth-straight contest, falling to Big Ten opponent Ohio State 9-1 Wednesday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium. Despite scoring first, the Panthers were unable to muster any runs after the first inning as they fell to 6-12 on the season, while the Buckeyes improved to 10-6.

 

Danny Lopez (SO/Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) gave Pitt the early advantage with an RBI-single in the first inning. Leadoff batter Jordan Herr (RS SO/Lancaster, Pa./Delaware) reached base safely after a throwing error on the Ohio State shortstop and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Left fielder Sean Conley (SR/Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) knocked a sac-fly to right field, moving Herr to third. With one out, Lopez ripped a ball down the left side, scoring Herr for the 1-0 Panther lead.

 

The run would be Pitt's last of the game, as the Panther offense would go on to generate just four more hits. Lopez and Joe Leonard (FR/Dawson, Pa./Connellsville) both tallied two singles for the Panthers, going a combined 4-8 on the day and recording four of Pitt's five hits.

 

The Buckeyes responded in the bottom half of the inning, tallying two runs of their own off Pitt starter Cole Taylor (FR/Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell), who made his first-collegiate start in today's contest. The Panther lefty went 3.2 innings in his debut outing, allowing four earned runs off seven hits, while recording his first-career strikeout in the third inning.

 

The Pitt offense had an opportunity in the top of the second to gain some runs back from Ohio State, but was unable to generate any scoring. With one out, Leonard knocked his first single of the day through the right side as teammate Chris Tonte (JR/Pittston, Pa./Lackawanna Community College) followed by drawing a walk off Buckeyes' starter Andrew Armstrong.

 

Leonard and Tonte were left stranded on base as Armstrong followed the Tonte walk generating a strikeout and fly-out in the next two Pitt batters. The Panthers would leave a total of nine runners on base over the course of the game.

 

Down 5-1 heading into the fifth, Pitt reliever David Kaye (FR/Oakmont, Pa./Riverview) stepped in to pitch 1.1 hitless innings, striking out two of the six Buckeye batters he faced.

 

Kaye was replaced on the mound by freshman Hugh Henry (FR/Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon) in the bottom of the sixth as Henry allowed Ohio State to add four runs to its lead. Buckeye first baseman Ryan Meade singled up the middle with the bases loaded, scoring two runs for Ohio State as J.B. Shuck advance home on a throwing error by the Panthers' center fielder, upping the Buckeyes' lead to 8-1.

 

Cory Rupert posted the game's final run, scoring Meade with a ground ball to second base. Henry got out of the inning drawing a strikeout and groundout from the next two Ohio State batters.

 

Enjoying a 9-1 advantage, the Buckeye bullpen kept the Panther bats quiet until the eighth inning when Pitt again missed some offensive opportunities. With two outs, Lopez knocked his second single of the day up the middle and advanced to third when Pitt first baseman Dan Williams (SR/Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) ripped his team-high seventh double of the season to right-center field.

 

Buckeye reliever Eric Best stopped the Panthers from scoring, however, as he tallied his second strikeout of the day to end the inning. Pitt relievers Ricky Breymier (JR/Clarks Summit, Pa./Lackawanna Community College) and Leonard combined for two hitless innings to close the game. Leonard, who's been a steady offensive force for Pitt, made his first appearance on the mound as a Panther in today's eighth inning.

 

Up next, Pitt will host Big East foe Louisville its 2008 home-opener on Friday at Trees Field as part of a three-game weekend series with the Cardinals. After falling to West Virginia in three-consecutive contests last week, the Panthers head into the series 0-3 in the conference. Louisville took two of three from Connecticut in its first Big East series, as it stands at 13-7 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

 

Game times are set for 3 p.m. on Friday, 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon for the series' cap on Sunday.