Pitt falls, looks to regain balance

According to Pitt senior Dan Williams, there’s nowhere for Pitt baseball to go but up.

And… According to Pitt senior Dan Williams, there’s nowhere for Pitt baseball to go but up.

And after struggling through the recent part of the season, he might be right.

“We have six conference games left, and we’ll just try and make something happen,” said Williams.

The squad kept busy with nine contests since finals, managing four wins.

The Panthers (16-28, 6-15 Big East) continued to struggle with consistency, notching just two conference victories in that stretch.

Williams, who’s had a hot bat lately, said he’s looking for the team to pull off some victories in the 10 remaining games of the season.

Georgetown series

Pitt emerged victorious in its series against Georgetown, collecting two of the team’s three wins since concluding the semester.

In game one of the series, Pitt overwhelmed the Hoyas, downing the conference foe at home, 9-2.

Sophomore southpaw hurler Nate Reed pitched a gem, allowing just three hits on his way to his second complete game of the year and fifth win.

Pitt was just as impressive from the dish, using a six-run fourth inning to pull away. Senior Sean Conley was 2 for 5 on the day and drove in two runs.

The next day, the Panthers kept their bats alive en route to a 17-11 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.

Williams starred for Pitt in the triumph, blasting two home runs to give him four on the season. His second homer, a two-run shot, paced a seven-run fifth inning.

Nick Mullins, Jordan Herr and Chris Warner notched back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth for the Panthers.

Pitt stumbled in game two, however, dropping the contest, 7-4.

Conley slammed a home run in the ninth inning to give the Panthers a boost, but it was not enough. Pitt took the series, but the loss in game three proved unsettling.

“It really bothers me that we didn’t sweep,” said Conley. “I think we’re a better team.”

Kent State 9, Pitt 2

The Panthers took to the road for a one-game series but didn’t receive many happy returns, falling 9-2 to the Golden Flashes.

Pitcher Mike Wood took the loss, while shortstop Danny Lopez and catcher Nick Mullins knocked in the only two Panther runs.

Conley and Matt Litzinger recorded two hits apiece.

Pitt 9, Cleveland State 1

After being battered in one nonconference game, the Panthers found solace in a 9-1 beatdown of Cleveland State under the lights at Trees Field.

Lopez and Mullins launched homers to lead the Panther onslaught.

Freshman pitcher Kevin Dooley notched his first career win, striking out five in as many innings and allowing just three hits.

Villanova Series

The Panthers’ return to conference play proved rocky as they lost three straight games on the road to Villanova.

Pitt dropped a heartbreaker in game one, falling victim to a walk-off home run by Wildcat Kyle Carver.

Mullins continued his offensive hot streak with a two-RBI triple to tie the game in the eighth inning before the walk-off shot.

The series took an ugly turn from there, with Villanova outscoring the Panthers 24-14.

Williams, from nearby Berwyn, Pa., said playing at Villanova was like a “home game” for him. Still, it couldn’t stop the Panthers’ slide.

Pitt 17, Coppin State3

Simply put, the Panthers put the past behind them.

Pitt used an eight-run fourth inning to lead the way in a seven-inning blowout of Coppin State.

Pitt strung together one of its best offensive performances of the year, getting home runs from Lopez, Williams, Litzinger and Chris Tonte.

Lissinger and Mullins both went 3 for 4 from the plate with four RBIs.

Mike Wood pitched a complete game six-hitter, walking one and striking out six. It was the first win of the year for the sophomore.