March 6, 2006

Box Score

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Junior pitcher Paul Nardozzi might be third in the Panthers' rotation but he is having a solid start to the season, throwing 7.1 innings of shutout ball in a 4-0 win over Rollins College on Monday evening.

Nardozzi (Victor, N.Y./Victor) improved to 2-1 by allowing just three hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters and combining on his second shutout this season with reliever Justin Cicatello (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore West/Florida CC at Jacksonville).

Pitt jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Third baseman Brian Muldowney (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) singled to left field, as did shortstop Jimmy Mayer (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) Another Pitt infielder, Jim Negrych (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis) did the same, driving in his 11th run of the season with a base hit.

The Panthers stranded the bases loaded with no outs in the third inning after a walk to Mayer and singles by Negrych and Peter Parise (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman). A line-out double play and a strikeout ended the Pitt threat to open the game up.

With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, catcher Jeff Stevens (Danville, Va./Dan River/Louisburg College) singled and moved to second on a throwing error. Sean Conley (Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) followed with a single up the middle to score Stevens with the game's second run.

Pitt finished the scoring with two runs on three hits in the eighth inning. Parise led off the frame with a double to right-center field. After Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Central) drew a walk, he was replaced on first base by Eric Chamness (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East). Seth Button (Elk Lake, Pa./Elk Lake/Gloucester College) was able to load the bases on a single through the right side. Stevens grounded into a double play but that allowed Parise to score to make it 3-0, and then Conley drove in his second run of the game with a single to score Chamness.

After Nardozzi retired 22 of the 26 batters he faced, Cicatello came in and walked just one batter in 1.2 innings of hitless shutout ball to close it out. Rollins College managed just three hits in the game, while the Panthers had 12, including Negrych's game-high three singles. Muldowney, Parise and Conley all had two hits apiece, while Mayer had a base hit and two walks in the victory.

Pitt continues its week in Winter Park, Fla, at "Baseball Week" with a 3 p.m. contest vs. Sacred Heart on Tuesday, March 7.

NOTES: Nardozzi has now allowed just two earned runs in 23 innings of work for a 0.78 earned-run average...he has allowed just eight hits and six walks, while striking out 29 batters so far this season...Cicatello lowered his ERA to 0.82 in his sixth appearance, allowing just six hits and one run in 11 innings of work.