PITT BASEBALL FALLS, 10-9, IN 10-INNING THRILLER

Friday, May 11

Trees Field

6:00 PM

Pitt

Rutgers

PITT BASEBALL FALLS, 10-9, IN 10-INNING THRILLER

5/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 11, 2007

Box Score

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt baseball team dropped a thrilling 10-9, extra-innings decision to Big East opponent Rutgers Friday evening at Trees Field. The Panthers (24-22, 13-8) took the lead in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs, but it was the Scarlet Knights (32-16, 17-5) who fought back for the one-run win.

Rutgers started strong, scoring three runs in the first inning and adding two more in the top of the third off a homer from left fielder Ryan Hill. Down 5-0, Pitt responded in the bottom of the third, scoring two. Center fielder Jordan Herr (RS FR/Lancaster, Pa./Delaware) ripped a leadoff triple to center field, as shortstop Danny Lopez (FR/Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) followed with a RBI single for the Panthers' first run.

Designated hitter Morgan Kielty (SO/Burlington, Ontario/Burlington) brought Lopez home with a sac-fly to left field to move the score to 5-2. Pitt starter Rob Brant (JR/Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield) held the Scarlet Knights scoreless in the fourth and fifth, as the Panthers added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Outfielders Sean Conley (JR/Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) and Peter Parise (SR/Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) notched back-to-back singles to start the inning. Kielty earned his second RBI of the day, bringing Conley home with a single of his own.

Pitt continued to chip away at Rutgers' lead when infielder Dan Williams (JR/Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) pulled-off a successful squeeze bunt to score Parise, moving the score to 5-4.

Rutgers added another in the in the sixth to pull ahead 6-4, but catcher Nick Mullins (JR/Brick, N.J./Brookdale Community College) responded with his second homerun of the season in the bottom of the inning to keep the Panthers within one.

Brant would hold Rutgers at bay once again in the seventh with some strong defensive help from Lopez at shortstop, while tallying two of his eight strikeouts of the day, as the score remained 6-5.

Pitt captured its first lead of the game in the seventh as it used a two-RBI double from first baseman Seth Button (SR/Elk Lake, Pa./Gloucester College) and a bunt from Mullins to push the score to 8-6 in the Panthers' favor.

The Scarlet Knights refused to go without a fight as they tallied a run in the eighth and two in the ninth off Pitt reliever Kyle Landis (RS SO/Hazelton, Pa./Hazelton), regaining the lead, 9-8.

The Panthers would not go quietly as well, as they got back-to-back doubles from Button and Kielty to tie the game at nine in the bottom half of the inning. Pitt, however, missed their opportunity to take the game as they were unable to score the winning run with one out and two on base. Rutgers' reliever Chris Lillis recorded consecutive outs to end the inning with the game tied.

Leadoff batter Frank Meade needed just one pitch in the top of the tenth, as he ripped his fifth homerun of the season over the left field wall for the eventual winning run. After Conley drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the tenth, Pitt was unable to muster a run as they fell 10-9.

Landis (3-4) picked up the loss for the Panthers as Lillis (3-2) got the win, pitching the final two innings for the Scarlet Knights and giving up just one run. The Panthers need just one more conference win to secure a bid to the 2007 Big East Championships to be held in Brooklyn, N.Y. at the end of the month.

Pitt and Rutgers will continue their series tomorrow at Trees Field in a 3 p.m. matchup, before finishing on Sunday at noon.

NOTES: Danny Lopez recorded a game-high five assists with solid defense at shortstop for the Panthers. He has now tallied 107 assists on the season. Four Panthers recorded a multi-hit game today: Sean Conley, Peter Parise and Seth Button notched two hits apiece, while Morgan Kielty went 4-5 with two RBI's and two runs-scored.

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