PITT BASEBALL DEFEATS ST. JOSEPH'S 13-6

Thursday, March 8

Jack Russell Stadium/Clearwater, FL

10:00 AM

Pitt

Saint Joseph's

PITT BASEBALL DEFEATS ST. JOSEPH'S 13-6

3/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

March 14, 2007

Stats

CLEARWATER, FLA. - The Pitt baseball team downed St. Joseph's 13-6 Thursday as part of the Clearwater Invitational for its third-straight win. The Panthers improve their record to 3-8 on the season, while St. Joseph's fell to 1-12. The Panthers used 11 hits, including three from freshman Daniel Lopez, to earn the win.

As they had the day before, the Panthers started the game very strong offensively, scoring four runs in the first two innings. Pitt got on the board in the top of the first with a 3-0 lead. Junior Mike Lepor (Rochester, Mi./Grand Rapids Community College) started the game with a leadoff walk, advanced to second on an error by St. Joseph's starting pitcher Justin Trudell and moved to third on a wild pitch.

Batting in the two spot, Sean Conley (Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) advanced to first on a walk as well and then stole second. With runners on second and third, Gary Bucuren (Ambridge, Pa./Kentucky) continued to produce offensively for the Panthers with an two-RBI-single, scoring both Lepor and Conley. Bucuren stole second and advance to third on a ground ball hit by Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Central), while Seth Button (Elk Lake, Pa./Gloucester College) ripped a fly-ball deep enough to right field to allow Bucuren to score, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Pitt added another run in the top of the second, getting a leadoff double from Lopez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy), while Jordan Herr (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster) followed with a single, advancing Lopez to third. With runners at the corners, Matt Litzinger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) grounded out to third, allowing Lopez to score the Panthers' fourth run of the game.

In the fourth inning, Pitt added six more runs as it batted through its lineup. The Panthers took advantage of three walks, one error and three singles, including Bucuren's second of the game, to move the score to 10-0.

The Panthers added one more run to its lead in the top of the fifth before St. Joseph's got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Pitt starter Ben Knuth (St. Joseph, Mi./Grand Rapids Community College) held the Hawks' bats in check through five, before giving up two runs in the sixth and two in the seventh. Senior Matt Zingle (West Bloomfield, Mi./West Bloomfield) came in as relief in the eighth to finish the game. Zingle allowed two runs on three hits, while striking two out.

Pitt tallied two more runs in the top of the eighth for the final of 13-6. Litzinger started the inning by getting hit by a pitch and advance to second on a single by Lepor. With two on and no outs, Hawks' reliever Mark Imbo retired the next two Pitt batters. Kielty came through for the Panthers with his second single of the game and earned his second RBI with a hit to right field.

The Panthers will continue play in the Clearwater Invitational Friday with a doubleheader vs. Lehigh and finish their spring training with a third match up against Sacred Heart on Sunday.

NOTES: Daniel Lopez tallied a career-high three hits in today's win with one double and two singles and one run scored. Gary Bucuren continued to be hot at the plate as he went 2-3 with two singles, two RBIs and two runs-scored. Bucuren still leads the team in batting average with a .395 mark.

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