Baseball: Panthers go split pair of mid-week games

The No. 24-ranked Pitt baseball team picked up a win and a loss during a mid-week set of… The No. 24-ranked Pitt baseball team picked up a win and a loss during a mid-week set of games, at home against Kent State and away against Youngstown State.

On Tuesday, not much went right for the Panthers, who (26-10, 9-3 Big East) fell to Kent State (21-18, 7-5 Mid-American) 16-3 at Trees Field. Taking the loss for Pitt was redshirt freshman Ray Black, who surrendered nine earned runs over 2.2 innings. The loss ended Pitt’s four-game winning streak.

At the plate, the Panthers only had two hits, leaving 11 runners on base.

“There was nothing positive to take from that game,” Pitt head coach Joe Jordano said. “If we put forth that kind of effort again, the result will most likely be the same.”

This was the Panthers’ second loss to Kent State this season. On April 7 Pitt fell to Kent State 19-6.

On Wednesday, Pitt bounced back by out-slugging Youngstown State (17-17, 7-4 Horizon) 21-12.

The Panthers wasted little time getting on top of the Penguins, going up 4-0 after just one inning. An RBI double by designated hitter Cory Brownsten scored three runners in the inning.

Pitt picked up a run in the top of both the second and third innings, with RBI singles by third baseman Joe Leonard and second baseman Travis Whitmore.

In the bottom of the third, the Penguins narrowed the gap to 6-3 when center fielder Derek Carr knocked in two runs with a single.

In the top of the fourth, the Panthers put up five more runs, taking advantage of leadoff walks to center fielder Zach Duggan and left fielder John Schultz. Later in the inning Whitmore took a pitch out over the right field wall for a three-run homerun, his third of the season.

After Youngstown State picked up a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Panthers erupted again, this time for six runs in the top of the fifth bringing the score to 17-6. In the inning, David Chester connected for the first grand slam of his career and seventh homerun of the season.

“Our offensive approach [Wednesday] was the same as it is every day. Nothing changes. We obviously executed our plan much better today,” Jordano said.

Picking up the win for the Panthers was junior Kevin Dooley. Dooley pitched six innings, giving up seven earned runs, on nine hits, while striking out seven.

In game seven, Panthers picked up RBIs. Leonard, Chester and Whitmore each picked up four.

Four Panthers also reached base at least four times in the game. Duggan, Schultz, Leonard and Whitmore combined for 11 hits and six walks.

Pitt took advantage of five errors committed by Youngstown State fielders, scoring eight unearned runs.

This weekend, the baseball team will travel to Morgantown for a three-game series against Big East opponent West Virginia (17-20, 3-9 Big East).

“We will be prepared for a very dangerous WVU squad. They are very good at home, and it is a tough place to play. We look forward to the challenge,” Jordano said.