Baseball: Panthers go 5-3 during spring break

The Pitt baseball team doubled its win total over spring break, playing eight games in 10… The Pitt baseball team doubled its win total over spring break, playing eight games in 10 days in South Carolina and Florida.

The Panthers went 2-2 in their games at the Caravelle Resorts Invitational in Conway, S.C.

They came away with two wins on the first day of the tournament, winning 18-4 against Albany and 8-5 over Ball State to jump out to a 7-1 start on the season.

In the two-game sweep, third baseman Joe Leonard was dominant at the plate, going 4-for-10 with seven RBIs, a homerun and four runs scored. Catcher Kevan Smith went 5-for-9, including two homeruns in the pair of games.

Pitt dropped the final two games of the tournament with a 9-6 loss to Coastal Carolina and an 11-7 loss to Toledo. The team fell behind 7-0 early in the game against Coastal Carolina, but its six-run rally over the course of the final three innings wasn’t quite enough against the No. 8 team in the country.

The Panthers then traveled to Boca Raton, Fla., to play Florida Atlantic, dropping the game 10-7. Pitt took an early 7-1 lead but couldn’t hold the lead. First baseman David Chester went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Pitt then traveled across the state to Vero Beach and West Palm Beach for a three-game series against Fordham. The Panthers dominated the Rams, winning 10-1, 13-0 and then 10-1 to stand at 10-4 on the season.

In the first game of the series, pitcher Corey Baker was dominant, throwing a complete game while allowing just one run on six hits. He gave up two walks and had six strikeouts.

In game two of the series, the Panthers’ pitching was strong once again. Pitchers Nathan Hood and Alex Caravella combined for a two-hit shutout with Hood going eight innings. Leonard was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, whereas Sean Toole went 3-for-4.

Over the course of the series, Danny Lopez had an impressive six RBIs with six runs scored.

Pitt will start its home schedule Tuesday with its opener against Youngstown State at 3 p.m. It will be the team’s final home opener at Trees Field, as it will move into the new Petersen Sports Complex next season.