Solid pitching leads Pitt in weekend sweep of Seton Hall

Seven wouldn’t have been a lucky number for the Pitt baseball team this weekend, but three… Seven wouldn’t have been a lucky number for the Pitt baseball team this weekend, but three would.

Snapping a six-game losing streak, Pitt prevailed to three consecutive victories over Seton Hall at familiar Trees Field, winning 3-1, 5-2 and 5-4, respectively.

If in life you need the bounces, then in baseball you need solid pitching.

In the first of three games against the Pirates, junior left-handed pitcher Nate Reed delivered with a memorable outing, throwing eight innings while allowing one run, five hits and striking out four Seton Hall batters.

The victory was Reed’s second on the year and first since an 18-4 rout over Cincinnati on March 20, when Pitt opened Big East conference play.

Runs were hard to come by for Pitt, as it faced a stingy pitching staff all afternoon, but managed to rack up 11 hits on the day and score three runs.

Pitt’s offense came together in the third inning. Leading things off, John Schultz walked before stealing second. A familiar Chris Sedon single set up Joe Leonard’s second hit of the day, giving Pitt a 2-0 lead. An RBI by Danny Lopez gave Pitt the comfortable cushion to play behind Reed’s arm.

Seton Hall managed an eighth-inning run, but Reed shut the door, halting any momentum the Pirates earned.

Pitt showed much of the same the following day against Seton Hall. Starting pitcher Corey Baker led Pitt to victory with his second complete game of the season, giving up just five hits and two runs while striking out six.

With the game tied at 2-2, Pitt took control in the bottom of the eighth, driving in three runs. Sedon and Lopez got things going with singles and solid baserunning. A Cory Brownsten single scored Matt Litzinger, who doubled to center field earlier.

Efficient play the rest of the way propelled the Panthers to a 5-2 victory to clinch the series win.

In the finale, Seton Hall brought its bats on board, rapping out 15 hits against Pitt starter David Kaye and three relievers. The Panthers managed only eight hits, but maximized those outcomes to eke out a 5-4 final.

Kaye went 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs and striking out four to earn his second victory of the season.

Only one of Pitt’s hits went for extra bases, and it proved to be the final difference maker. Sedon connected on a home run in the first inning that scored Schultz to give the Panthers an early 2-0 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

With the three wins against the Pirates, Pitt improved its home record to 10-2.

The Panthers next square off against Big East foe Rutgers at Trees Field with two games on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday.

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