Feb. 17, 2006

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. - After managing just two runs and six hits in the season opener earlier against George Mason, the Pitt baseball team responded and earned an 11-5 victory over host Coastal Carolina in the IMICHotels.com INN-vitational in Conway, S.C.

The Panthers (1-1) sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning, scoring six times and built an 11-0 lead after five innings before allowing the Chanticleers (1-2) to score five runs over the final four frames.

Senior catcher Jeff Stevens (Danville, Va./Louisburg College) was walked to lead off the inning by Coastal Carolina starter Kevin Marrie, who left the game right after the walk with a hand injury. Pete Andrelczyk came on in relief and the Panthers went to work offensively.

With one out and Stevens on third, Dan Williams (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) drove in his second run of the season with a single. After another single by David Cline (Mercersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy), Williams moved to third and Cline stole second base. Sean Conley (Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) followed with a two-run single to center field to make it a 3-0 game. Jimmy Mayer (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) kept things going with another single, moving Conley to third. A groundout by Jim Negrych (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis) plated the fourth Panther run of the inning.

Back-to-back walks were drawn by Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Central) and Peter Parise (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) to load the bases and Stevens blasted a single to left center to make it a 6-0 lead for the Panthers. With one out in the fourth inning, Kielty had his first collegiate hit and made it count with an opposite-field home run to left field. Parise followed up with a double to left field, and later scored with Stevens on a bases-loaded single by Williams.

The Panthers added a fourth run in the fourth inning to make it 10-0 when Cline reached on a fielding error by Derek Martin, allowing Edgard Sucre (Miami, Fla./Archbishop Carroll) to score. Pitt made it 11-0 in the top of the fifth when Mayer was hit by a pitch with one out and Negrych walked. With one out, Parise reached on a fielder's choice to score Mayer with the Panthers' final run.

Pitt starter Rob Brant (Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield) cruised through his first five innings, allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts but no Chanticleer runs. A solo home run by Dom Duggan broke the shutout in the bottom of the sixth and two more hits allowed another run to score to make it 11-2.

Pitt reliever Chad Baker (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) allowed three Coastal Carolina runs in the seventh without recording an out but Justin Cicatello (Buffalo, N.Y./Florida CC at Jacksonville) came on to close the game out with three solid innings of work. Cicatello allowed just one hit and retired nine of 10 batters with one strikeout to earn his first save of the year. Brant (1-0) went six innings, allowing six hits, two runs and three walks, striking out five batters to earn the victory. Marrie (1-1) was saddled with the loss despite only facing six batters.

Williams went 3-for-5 with three RBIs to lead the Panthers, who totaled 12 hits in the win. Mayer, Kielty and Stevens all had two hits apiece, while Conley and Stevens drove in two apiece. Pitt will take on Coastal Carolina again tomorrow at 4 p.m. with Paul Nardozzi (Victor, N.Y./Victor) scheduled to get the start for the Panthers.

NOTES: Kielty finished with six total bases, hitting his first home run and first double of the season...Mayer and Cline picked up the Panthers' first stolen bases of the new year...for the day, Cicatello allowed two hits and one walk with two strikeouts in four shutout innings of relief.