April 12, 2008
Box Score
CINCINNATI-The Pitt baseball team dropped a tough, 3-2 extra-innings loss to Cincinnati Saturday afternoon at Marge Schott Stadium, as the Bearcats notched a game-winning run in the 11th inning. Sean Conley tallied his team-high ninth homerun of the season, while Joe Leonard contributed a 3-4 effort at the plate. The Pitt offense, however, was unable to generate any runs following the eighth inning.
Conley (SR/Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) gave the Panthers (9-20, 2-9) an early advantage, blasting a solo shot in the top of the third. With the longball, Conley has now entered a three-way tie for ninth-place in Pitt's all-time season records books for homeruns. He also continues to rack-up RBI, as the left fielder has now driven in a team-best 35 on the season.
The Bearcats (19-11, 9-2) responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning, scoring a run of their own to tie the game at 1-1. Cincinnati took advantage of two Panther miscues to put a runner on second. Chris Peters then advanced to third on a Tony Campana bunt-single and scored when Jamel Scott launched a sac-fly to right field.
Neither team was able to generate much offense until Cincinnati broke out its bats in the sixth, adding another run to the board and pulling ahead of Pitt by a tally of 2-1. Panther starter Rob Brant (SR/Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield), who had pitched a solid game, gave up two walks and a single to three of the Bearcats' first four batters in the sixth inning.
With the bases loaded, Brant was replaced on the mound by reliever David Kaye (FR/Oakmont, Pa./Riverview). Brant tallied 5.1 innings of work, allowing just one earned run off five hits while striking out four batters.
The first batter Kaye faced singled to left field, scoring Cincinnati's second run of the game, but Conley kept the Bearcat damage to a minimum, gunning Mike Spina at the plate for the inning's second out. Kaye would get the next batter to ground to third base, as the reliever got out of the inning with his team down just one run.
The Pitt offense was not done for the day, however, as second baseman Dan Williams (SR/Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) started the Panther come-back in the eighth inning with a two-out double to left field, his team-leading 10th two-bagger of the season.
With Williams on second, Cincinnati starter Michael Hill was replace by Jake Geglein. Hill threw a solid 7.2 innings, allowing just one earned run off seven hits, while fanning five Pitt batters, as Nick Mullins (SR/Brick, N.J./Brookdale Community College) stepped to the plate.
Mullins put the ball in play towards the Bearcat third baseman who bobbled the hit, giving Williams a chance to score and allowing Mullins to reach first base safely as Pitt tied the game at 2-2. Geglein would get out of the inning, however, retiring the following Panther batter for the final out.
With the score deadlocked at 2-2, neither team could produce a game-winning run through nine innings, as the contest extended two extra frames.
The Panthers had a chance in the top of the 11th when Leonard (FR/Dawson, Pa./Connellsville) ripped a two-out single to left field and advanced all the way to third when the Bearcats' left fielder dropped Mullins' ensuing fly ball. The Pitt offense could not plate either runner, however, as both were left stranded and the game remained 2-2.
Leonard led the Panthers on the day, tallying a 3-4 effort at the plate. The freshman has now posted three or more hits in five different contests for Pitt this season.
Kaye was replaced on the mound by right-hander Ricky Breymier (JR/Clarks Summit, Pa./Lackawanna Community College) in the 11th, after recording an impressive 4.2 scoreless innings of work.
After walking his first batter, Breymier got the next to fly-out to Zach Duggan (RS FR/Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) as Mullins gunned a Bearcat runner in an attempted steal for the inning's second out. The Panther reliever struggled with his control, however, walking back-to-back Cincinnati batters to put runners at first and second.
With two on and two out, Scott stepped to the plate and recorded his second RBI of the day, driving a game-winning single to center field. Breymier picked up his second loss of the season as Pitt fell by a final of 3-2. Geglein earned the win for Cincinnati, his second of the year.
The Panthers and Bearcats will closeout weekend play with a 1 p.m. game tomorrow at Marge Schott Stadium.
