Pitt
Penn State
Panthers Earn 7-4 Win Over Nittany Lions
3/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 24, 2010
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt baseball team earned their 15th win of the season with a 7-4 win over Penn State Wednesday afternoon at Trees Field in Pittsburgh. Pitt improved to 15-4 overall, while the Nittany Lions fell to 6-11 on the year.
Panthers' junior Joe Leonard (Dawson, Pa./Connellsville) had an exceptional day, going 4-for-4 from the plate with a run scored and a run batted in. Shortstop Danny Lopez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) was 2-for-3 on the day, including two runs scored and two RBI.
Junior Cole Taylor (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) picked up the win for the Panthers, pitching 1.1 innings, while giving up no runs on one hit. Seven pitchers in all hit the mound for Pitt with Josh Smith (West Lawn, Pa./West Lawn) getting the start. Smith gave up three runs on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Pitt went down early, 3-0, due to a Ben Heath three-run homer in the first inning for the Nittany Lions. In the bottom of the inning, As the leadoff hitter for the Panthers, Lopez immediately cut into the PSU lead with a solo home run. Junior Sean Toole (Edwardsville, Pa./Lackawanna CC) tied up the game at 3-3 five batters later with a two-RBI single to center field.
In the bottom of the third, Pitt took the lead for good with another three-run output. Cory Brownsten (Lockport, N.Y./Monroe CC) started off the scoring with an RBI double, which brought home Travis Whitmore from third. Zach Duggan brought home Toole with an RBI groundout and Lopez singled to drive home Brownsten for the 6-3 lead after three innings.
With four hitless innings for Penn State, the score remained 6-3 at the end of seven. In the top of the eighth, Penn State made their move. A Joey DeBarnardis single drove in their fourth run of the game to cut Pitt's lead to two. With runners on second and third, Pitt ace Nate Hood (Cleburne, Texas/North Texas Central CC) forced a ground out to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lopez reached base by a walk and advanced by stealing second and then to third on a ground out. Leonard singled with two outs to drive home Lopez to give Pitt the 7-4 lead. Leonard took over at pitcher in the top of the ninth and retired the first three batters faced earning the save and giving Pitt the 7-4 victory.
Pitt will open up its Big East season Friday with a three-game series against St. John's at Trees Field. The Panthers will host the Red Storm on Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
