Baseball: Pitt clinches spot in Big East conference Tournament

The Panthers continued their Big East success this weekend, and they now have a chance to… The Panthers continued their Big East success this weekend, and they now have a chance to earn a championship.

The Pitt baseball team clinched a berth in the Big East conference tournament with a series victory over Seton Hall this weekend.

The Panthers (34-12, 15-5 Big East) defeated the Pirates (17-26-1, 6-15 Big East) by a score of 5-2 on Friday’s opening game of the series, earning their eighth Big East victory in the past nine conference games.

“This was a really solid win for us,” head coach Joe Jordano said. “We came up with some big plays, and it was an all-around solid team performance.”

Junior pitcher Corey Baker controlled the game from the mound, allowing only two runs on eight hits to earn his 10th season victory.

Baker led the defensive efforts, while fellow junior Joe Leonard sparked the Panther offense with a 4 for 4 performance at the plate, including an RBI and a run scored.

Jordano said Leonard’s play impressed him, especially as part of the team effort.

“[Leonard] is a special player and has been a catalyst for us offensively,” Jordano said. “Our entire lineup has been productive, and that has allowed him to see better pitches. Teams cannot pitch around him, or they could get hurt.”

Freshman Ronald Sucre also added to the Panthers offense in the first game. He hit his first homerun of the season in the sixth inning to bring the score to its final 5-2 tally.

After Friday’s game, Jordano said Seton Hall’s Pirates are a “solid team” and that the next day would be “very competitive.”

Jordano’s prediction came true, as the second day of play between the Panthers and the Pirates saw a double hitter split as the Panthers took the first contest 14-2, while the Pirates won the second 9-7.

Jordano said the structure of the Seton Hall field played a role in the outcomes of Saturday’s games.

“Seton Hall’s ballpark is huge and possibly the biggest and deepest field I have ever been on,” Jordano said. “We hit some balls very hard and deep, but there were wind gusts up to 40 mph, making it a tough day for both teams.”

In the Pitt win, sophomore Matt Iannazzo secured the victory, pitching seven innings and giving up only two runs.

The Panthers jumped out to a lead early in the game by scoring five runs in the first inning, two off junior Kevan Smith’s homerun.

In the fourth inning, the Panthers had four additional runs, making the score 9-0. The Pirates were able to avoid the shutout with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but the game was well in hand by that point.

The second half of the doubleheader began similarly. The Pitt offense jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning.

But the Pirates’ attempt at a comeback succeeded in this contest, and the team scored five runs on five hits in the second inning and had four more in the third.

All nine runs, and the loss, were charged to senior pitcher Nathan Hood, whereas the win went to Seton Hall’s Jon Prosinski.

“Prosinski did a solid job for Seton Hall,” Jordano said. “We got behind early in the second and third innings, and Prosinski was able to keep us off balance.”

Seton Hall’s closing pitcher Benny Mejia ensured the Pirate victory with two innings of scoreless work.

The Panthers have nine games remaining in the season before the Big East conference tournament, but Jordano emphasizes the importance of focus in the final stretch.

“Nothing changes, even with the tournament appearance clinched,” Jordano said. “We prepare and execute each game as it comes, and we will continue to do so.”