University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Kent State
Kent State Defeats Panthers, 14-4, at Trees Field
3/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2006
PITTSBURGH - Nine walks and 15 hits plagued the Panther pitchers as the Pitt baseball team dropped a 14-4 decision to Kent State on Wednesday afternoon at Trees Field.
The Panthers (11-12) dropped their fourth straight game, never really getting on track against the Golden Flashes (11-9). Kent State connected on a two-run home run early by Drew Saylor off of Pitt starter Anthony Rossi (Peters Township, Pa./Peters Township) in the top of the first inning.
Pitt came right back in the bottom half of the first with a two spot. Shortstop Jimmy Mayer (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) reached on a one-out infield single and second baseman Jim Negrych (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis) followed with his fourth home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
The Golden Flashes went on to score the next nine runs in the game, getting one more off Rossi in the second to take a 3-2 lead. Four runs in the fourth and fifth innings increased the advantage to 11-2. Pitt added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Sean Conley (Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) reached on a one-out infield single like Mayer in the first. With two outs and Conley on second, Negrych drove in his third run on a single to right field.
With the score 13-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Pitt scored its final run on a walk and two singles, the run being driven in by freshman Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Central) to score Conley.
Five Panther pitchers combined to allow 15 Kent State hits and walked nine Golden Flashes batters, while Jon Miller and Dominique Rodgers combined to strike out 12 Panthers in eight innings. Miller (2-1) got the win and Rossi dropped to 0-2 with the loss.
The Panthers return to action with a three-game series at Notre Dame this weekend, where they will try to end their current four-game skid.
NOTES: Negrych went 3-for-5 with a run, three RBIs and his 27th career home run...the home run moved him into sole possession of fifth place all-time in Panther annals...his three RBIs give him 126 for his career, passing Steve Dickinson into third place in Pitt history.
