March 5, 2010
Final Stats
March 5, 2010
Box Score
PITTSBURGH -
The Pitt baseball team improved to 7-1 on the season with wins over Albany (18-4) and Ball State (8-5) Friday at the Caravelle Resorts Invitational in Conway, S.C.
Junior infielder Joe Leonard (Dawson, Pa./Connellsville) led the way offensively for the Panthers going 4-for-10 with seven RBI including a home run and four runs scored. In addition, John Schultz (West Lawn, Pa./Wilson West Lawn) finished the day going 5-for-10 and Kevan Smith (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) was 5-for-9 with two home runs on the day.
In the first game of the day, the Panthers met up with Albany and took control of the contest early. Pitt took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Joe Leonard drove in Danny Lopez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McCllancy) for the score.
In the second, Pitt again held Albany scoreless in the top of the inning, and added to their totals with a three-run inning. The Panthers' first two batters reached base after being hit by a pitch, and with the bases loaded, John Schultz (West Lawn, Pa./Wilson) singled to second, driving in a run. Next up was Leonard, who drove in two runs of his own on a single through the left side, giving Pitt the 4-0 lead.
Albany got on the board in the top of the third with a solo home run by Pete Eichner, closing the gap to 4-1. Both teams were again held scoreless in the fourth.
In the bottom of the fifth
Kevan Smith (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) homered to left center for the only score of the inning, giving Pitt the 5-1 lead.
Pitt had another offensive output in the bottom of the sixth with a seven-run effort. Driving in runs for the Panthers were Danny Lopez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) with an RBI single; Leonard reached on a throwing error, driving in one run; junior Sean Toole (Edwardsville, Pa./Lackawanna CC) drove in two with a single up the middle and Zach Duggan (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) doubled to left center to drive in three.
Albany responded with a three-run inning in the seventh, but it would not chip away at the Pitt lead for long as the Panthers increased their already commanding lead with a five-run seventh inning to take the 17-4 lead. Pitt's five runs scored included two-run homers by Leonard and Smith.
Pitt's final run of the game came in the bottom of the eighth when pinch hitter Phil Konieczny (Phoenix, Ariz./Mountain Pointe) doubled to left center and drove home Steve Shelinsky from second. The Panthers held Albany scoreless in the top of the ninth, for the 18-4 victory in their first game of the day.
Against Ball State, Pitt got on the board first with a 1-0 lead after the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Ball State tied it up on an RBI single up the middle on Pitt ace Corey Baker (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South).
The Panthers began to take control in the top of the third with a three-run output, which got started with a Leonard double to center field, which scored Schultz from second. Smith doubled to right center, driving in the remaining two runs of the inning, giving Pitt the 4-1 lead. Ball State was able to respond in the bottom of the inning with one run to cut their deficit to 4-2.
Konieczny singled to start off the fourth inning and eventually scored from second on a Cory Brownsten RBI double to right center. Pitt held Ball State scoreless in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-2 lead into the 5th inning.
Dygert drove in two runs for the Cardinals on a home run to left center in the bottom of the fifth to pull to within one run at 5-4.
After a scoreless sixth, Brownsten (Lockport, N.Y./Monroe CC) singled through the right side to drive home Leonard and Sean Toole (Edwardsville, Pa./Lackawanna), who finished the day 4-for-7 with two runs and two RBI, scored on a balk to bring the score to 7-4.
Each team added a run in the ninth as the Panthers held on for the 8-5 victory. Baker picked up his third win of the season, while freshman J.R. Leonardi (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Alderdice) pitched 3.0 innings for the save, giving up just one run on two hits, while striking out six.
Pitt returns to action Saturday at noon for a meeting with host Coastal Carolina in the Caravelle Resorts Invitational. The tournament concludes Sunday when the Panthers take on Toledo at 10 a.m.
