March 19, 2010

Box Score

PITTSBURGH -

Pitt’s baseball team has now scored 62 runs in its last five games as the Panthers defeated Saint Joseph’s 14-1 Friday afternoon in Philadelphia. Pitt ace Corey Baker also held the Hawks at bay, giving up just one and three hits in 7.0 innings of play improving to 5-0 on the season.

Left fielder John Schultz led the Panthers offensively, contributing four runs batted in on 3-for-4 hitting on the day. Second baseman Travis Whitmore was 4-for-5 on the day with two runs scored. The Panthers, despite scoring 14 runs, left 16 more base runners on.

Pitt’s bats took a while to warm up as they tallied three hits through the first two innings. In the bottom of the second, Saint Joseph’s scored their lone run of the game on a sacrifice bunt, driving in Taylor, who initially reached base on a double to start the bottom half of the inning.

The Panthers tied it up in the top of the third with Schultz (West Lawn, Pa./Wilson West Lawn) reaching on a single and recording a stolen base to advance to second. Joe Leonard (Dawson, Pa./Connellsville) doubled to drive home Schultz to tie the game up at 1-1.

In the top of the fourth, Pitt added another run for the 2-1 lead, which they would not relinquish. In the fifth, Pitt’s first three batters reached base. Catcher Cory Brownsten doubled to right field to bring home two more runs. The final two Pitt runs of the inning were brought home by a Danny Lopez single and a Schultz single for the 6-1 lead.

The Hawks went through six pitchers in the loss and Pitt would force them to make a change in the sixth as again the first three batters reached base. The Panthers would add two runs for the 8-1 lead, scoring two runs on three hits in the inning.

Pitt continued its pressure in the seventh with a four-run output for the 12-1 lead. This time, Pitt’s first four batters reached, including a Kevan Smith double to left field to lead off the inning, a Sean Toole RBI single, a Travis Whitmore walk and David Chester reached on a fielder’s choice. Pitt recorded just three hits in the inning and left two on base but took the commanding 11-run lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Baker sat down his only three batters faced in the inning, giving him a streak of 12 consecutive batters retired. Baker left the game striking out 10 of his 25 batters faced, while walking just one.

The Panthers rounded out their scoring on the day with a two-run ninth inning. Pinch hitting for Lopez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) was Ronald Sucre, who recorded a sacrifice fly to bring home Brownsten from third. The final run of the day was also scored on a sac fly as Schultz drove in Zach Duggan for the 14-1 Pitt victory.

Pitt continues its tour of Philadelphia as it faces La Salle Saturday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. The Panthers will wrap up the weekend with a 12:15 p.m. contest at Temple on Sunday.