University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Cincinnati
Panthers Clinch Series with 8-5 Win
5/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 15, 2010
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The University of Pittsburgh baseball team won for the 11th time in its last 13 Big East Conference games, topping the University of Cincinnati, 8-5, here today at Marge Schott Stadium in game two of a three-game weekend series with the Bearcats.
The Panthers (36-13, 17-5 Big East) clinched their sixth Big East Conference series win of the season and tied the 2004 squad for the most Big East wins in a season with 17.
Matt Iannazzo (10-1) picked up his 10th win of the season after throwing six and two-thirds innings, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs while striking out two Bearcat batters. Joe Leonard and Travis Whitmore each had two hits and three RBI on the day to lead the Panthers at the plate.
J.R. Leonardi came in relief in the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth and got the first two outs in the ninth before Leonard was brought in to close the game out, earning his eighth save of the year, setting a Pitt single-season record in the process.
Pitt jumped out to an early lead in the first inning for a second straight day. Danny Lopez led off with a single through the left side and made his way to third following John Schultz’s double to left center. Leonard cleared the bases with a single up the middle to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead before stealing second and advancing to third on Kevan Smith’s sacrifice fly to right field. Whitmore’s RBI base hit to right field scored Leonard and gave the Panthers a 3-0 margin heading into the bottom of the first.
After a three-up, three-down first for Cincinnati, the Bearcats cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second on a Braden Kline two-out RBI single to right field.
Whitmore’s second RBI base hit of the afternoon drove in Smith who had singled and made his way to third on a fielding error by Bearcat center fielder Jamel Scott to lead off the inning, giving Pitt a 4-1 lead after the top of the fourth.
Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Panther lead to one at 4-3. Jimmy Jacquot walked and stole second before Justin Riddell singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Cory Hough grounded into a 1-6-3 double play that allowed Jacquot to score from third. Braden Kline then singled and scored on batter later on a Kendal Coleman.
The Panthers increased their lead to 8-3 following a four-run fifth. After Lopez singled and Schultz walked to lead off the inning, Leonard picked up his third RBI of the day, singling to right field. David Chester then doubled off the wall in left-center field, allowing Leonard and Schultz to score, making it 7-3. Whitmore’s sacrifice fly to left field rounded out the scoring for the inning at 8-3.
The Bearcats cut the lead to 8-5 after Riddell homered in the sixth and Jacquot singled through the left side in the seventh, scoring Chris Peters, but could not rally in the eighth or ninth as they dropped their sixth straight game.
Pitt and Cincinnati will conclude its weekend series tomorrow, May 16 here at Marge Schott Stadium. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
