Pittsburgh Baseball Team Loses Three-Game Series To Villanova
5/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Pittsburgh Baseball Team Loses Three-Game Series To Villanova
5/7/2001
PHILADELPHIA-Pittsburgh's baseball team could not get back on track as it dropped three games to Villanova this past weekend at Richie Ashburn Field. The Panthers fell 8-5 in the single game on Saturday before losing 5-1 and 15-10 in Sunday's doubleheader.
In Saturday's contest, Pittsburgh knocked out 15 hits but committed four errors in the loss. Trailing 7-3 in the seventh inning, the Panthers plated two runs and trimmed the lead to 7-5. Senior Darrin Lenhart (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) singled home sophomore Brant Colamarino (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic), and junior Brad Rea (Gibsonia, Pa./North Allegheny) doubled home Lenhart one batter later.
However, Villanova added one run in the bottom half of the inning and sealed the 8-5 victory. Freshman Don Rhoten (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) suffered the loss on the mound for Pittsburgh, working 5.1 innings and giving up seven runs (five earned) and striking out one Wildcat.
Lenhart notched three hits on the day, while four other Panthers tallied two hits apiece.
In the opener on Sunday, Pittsburgh errors proved costly again as junior Joe Engel (S. Williamsport, Pa./S. Willaimsport) pitched a complete-game seven-hitter, giving up five runs (only two earned) and striking out six Villanova batters.
The Panther bats were kept in check all game, though, by Wildcat starting pitcher Bob Grzenda, who scattered just four Pittsburgh hits and gave up one run while pitching the complete game.
In the nightcap, both squads came alive at the plate, combining for 25 runs on 27 hits. Once again, the Panthers out-hit Wildcats (15-12), but could not pull out the victory.
Rea led the Blue and Gold at the plate, belting his team-leading 11th and 12th home runs of the year. Rea finished the game going 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Colamarino notched two doubles in the 15-10 setback, and senior Corey Joyce (Scranton, Pa./Lackawanna C.C.), junior Rolando Bello (Miami, Fla./Southeastern) and sophomore Chris Papst (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown) each collected two hits apiece for Pittsburgh.
Freshman Jeff Barnyak (Sandy Ridge, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) took the loss on the mound for the Panthers as he pitched four innings, allowing eight runs and eight hits.
Pittsburgh (16-24, 4-17) prepares for its final week of the season as it plays three mid-week, non-conference away games. The Panthers travel to area-rival Duquesne on Tuesday, then to Akron on Wednesday and on to Niagara on Thursday before returning for its season-ending home series against Virginia Tech next weekend.