April 11, 2008

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt baseball team will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio this weekend for a three-game conference series with the Bearcats. The Panthers head to Marge Schott Stadium with a 9-17 overall record and a 2-7 mark in Big East play, while the Bearcats sit at 17-11 and 7-2.

Pitt is coming off a mid-week home-stand where it hosted cross-town rival Duquesne and Big Ten foe Penn State at Trees Field. Tuesday, the Panthers topped the Dukes by a tally of 9-8 as Sean Conley (SR/Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) ripped two homeruns in the contest, plating four runs in the process. The Nittany Lions, however, came out with the close win on Wednesday, topping Pitt, 6-5.

Conley started the hit party in the bottom of the first against Duquesne when he sent Joe Lombardo's first pitch of the afternoon over the wall in left field, giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. In the fourth, the left fielder launched his second long ball of the afternoon, a three-run shot, to put Pitt up 5-4 with only one out gone in the inning.

Second baseman Chris Tonte (JR/Pittston, Pa./Lackawanna Community College) recorded his first homerun as a Panther when he unloaded in the bottom of the fifth on an offering that cleared the fence in left and scored two runs, giving the Panthers yet another one-run lead as Pitt would hold on for the win.

Wednesday, the Panthers battled back only to come up one run short and drop the contest to the Nittany Lions. After giving up five runs in the first two innings, Pitt chipped away at Penn State's lead but was unable to pull ahead, dropping the close contest.

Conley posted a 2-2 effort at the plate, recording his fifth double of the season. The senior leads the team with a .327 batting average and an impressive .606 slugging percentage, while driving in a team-high 34 runs. Conley's 34 RBI rank him fourth among all Big East players, behind three sluggers from WVU.

Right fielder Zach Duggan (RS FR/Cranberry Twp, Pa./Seneca Valley) plated two runs for the Panthers as part of a 3-5 day, while infielder Dan Williams (SR/Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) drove in a pair of his own.

Pitt heads to Cincinnati for the first time in program history, after hosting the Bearcats at Trees Field in the team's first-ever meetings last season. After dropping the series-opener, 19-5, the Panthers rallied for two close wins by scores of 3-0 and 3-2, giving Pitt the slight 2-1 advantage in the all-time series record

Conley led the Panthers at the plate in game two with a 3-4 effort, scoring two runs and driving one in. In game three, the outfield-combo of center fielder Jordan Herr (RS SO/Lancaster, Pa./Delaware) and Conley notched back-to-back homeruns, tying the game, as Pitt went on to capture a one-run win.

The Bearcats enter the weekend enjoying a five-game winning streak as they have topped their opponents in 11 of their last 13 contests, including a three-game sweep of conference foe Connecticut last weekend. Cincinnati is off to its best start ever in the Big East (7-2) since joining the league in 2006.

Junior right fielder Cameron Satterwhite leads the Bearcats with a .345 batting average, tallying a team-high nine doubles. Senior center fielder Tony Campana is batting a strong .341 with three triples in 2008.

Friday, two left-handers will battle on the mound as the Bearcats' Dan Osterbrock squares-off with Pitt's Nate Reed (SO/Reading, Pa./Olley Valley). Osterbock holds a 3-2 record with a 3.07 ERA, while Reed is 3-4 with a 7.11 mark.

Saturday, righty Michael Hill and lefty Rob Brant (SR/Mansfield, Pa./Mansfiel) will match-up. Hill holds a 3-2 record with a 2.37 ERA, while Brant's numbers are 0-3 and 5.31.

Sunday's contest will feature right-handers Tyler Smith and freshman Corey Baker (FR/New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South). Like his fellow hurlers, Smith also holds a 3-2 tally, while posting a 3.46 ERA. Pitt's freshman is 0-1 in one start and six appearances with a 5.40 ERA. Baker's scheduled start would be his first-career against a Big East opponent.

Games are scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.