Pitt
Penn State
Baseball Halted by Penn State, 10-3
5/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 11, 2011
PITTSBURGH - Pitt baseball fell to Penn State, 10-3, Wednesday night at Charles L. Cost Field at the Petersen Sports Complex.
Senior Kevan Smith hit his sixth home run of the season and freshman Casey Roche made a highlight reel catch in right field, but Penn State turned six double plays in the game and scored three runs in the fifth and four runs in the seventh to win the game.
The Panthers (28-19, 12-9 BIG EAST) opened the scoring in the second inning. Senior David Chester led off with a double that smacked off the left field wall, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Roche.
After Penn State tied the game in the top of the third, Smith put the Panthers back on top in the bottom of the fourth when he led off the inning with a solo blast over the left-center wall.
The Nittany Lions (28-18, 8-10 Big Ten) took their first lead of the game in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs on three hits.
Pitt appeared to regain momentum thanks in part to an acrobatic catch by Roche in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Roche sprinted into foul territory and jumped into the wall adjacent to the visitor's bullpen, hanging on to the ball after crashing to the ground.
In the bottom of the frame, the Panthers pulled back within a run when Smith tallied his second RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly to center. Senior John Schultz scored on the play after hitting a one-out triple to right-center.
Penn State quickly added to its lead in the seventh, scoring four runs on five hits including a three-run homer over the left field wall.
The Lions added two in the ninth to complete a season sweep over the Panthers. Earlier this season, Pitt fell at Penn State, 5-4.
The Panthers collected nine hits but were plagued by five ground ball double plays and one lineout in which the runner at first was doubled up.
Freshman Matt Wotherspoon (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season, pitching into the fifth inning.
Pitt will look to rebound when it hosts rival West Virginia for a three-game series beginning Friday at 7 p.m. The Panthers currently trail the Mountaineers by just one game in the conference standings.
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