University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Ohio
Bobcats Walk-off Hands Pitt Second Straight Defeat
3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2009
ATHENS, Ohio – For the second time this season, the Pitt Panthers battled back in late innings only to fall in the bottom half, dropping a 9-8 game today to Ohio University at Robert Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio.
Gauntlett Edlemire’s two-out, 1-0 home run to center field lifted the Bobcats to the 9-8 win, their third straight in the series.
Matt Iannazzo was charged with the loss for the Panthers (1-3), dropping his record to 1-1 on the year. Kevin Momentowski picked up the win for Ohio, who upped their 2009 record to 2-3.
Ohio broke through the floodgates in the bottom half of the second, producing six runs on five hits. Hood had worked his way past the first two batters of the inning, freezing Kris McDonough on 1-2 count and inducing a Zach Keen groundout to short stop Danny Lopez. Bobby Martin reached on a Joe Leonard error, giving the Bobcats their first base runner of the inning.
Hood then hit Eldemire, putting runners on first and second with two outs. A Marc Krauss single up the middle gave Ohio the 1-0 lead. Leonard’s second error of the inning allowed Krauss and Eldemire to score, increasing the lead to 3-0 before Robert Maddox cleared the bases with a shot over the left-field wall. Jerod Yakubik singled up the middle, driving in the final run of the inning to give the Bobcats the 6-0 advantage.
Ohio added one in the bottom of the fourth when a McDonough single to center field scored Hayden Johnston who had doubled to left center to lead off the inning for Ohio.
Pitt got on the board in the fifth by way of Cory Brownsten’s RBI single through the right side. Brownsten’s third RBI of the year scored Lopez who had singled up the middle and advanced to third base after two straight passed balls.
After a scoreless sixth, Pitt bounced back in the top of the seventh, cutting the Bobcats lead to three at 7-4. Brownsten doubled down the left line for his second hit of the day, and scored two batters later when Zach Duggan singled. Chris Sedon’s second home run of the year cleared the bases and ended the scoring for the Panthers in the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh the Bobcats loaded the bases, but were only able to produce one run, increasing their lead to 8-4.
Leonard and Frank Mercurio led the Pitt eighth off with back-to-back singles before Phil Konieczny doubled to left center, driving both in and cutting the score to 8-6. Konieczny would later score on a passed ball to bring Pitt to within one at 8-7. The Panthers tied the game at eight one batter later when Matt Litzinger grounded out to Brandon Besl, allowing Chris Tonte to cross the plate.
The Panthers pack their bags and head for the Sunshine State this Friday, March 6. They will play nine games in eight days at the Papa John’s Classic in West Palm Beach, Fla. Up first will be St. Bonaventure on Saturday, March 7 at 1:30 p.m.
