Panthers snag two clutch wins from Louisville

The Pitt baseball team took two of three from Louisville this weekend, notching two key… The Pitt baseball team took two of three from Louisville this weekend, notching two key conference victories against a solid Cardinals team.

Pitt (8-13, 2-4 Big East) ended its five-game losing streak and won the series against a Louisville team that advanced to the College World Series last year.

Coach Joe Jordano was pleased with his team’s performance in the weekend series.

“The weekend was a positive, we played well in all the games,” Jordano said.

“Only a couple of mistakes cost us [Sunday]. They’re a well-coached team, and to have an opportunity to take three games from them when they advanced to the College World Series last year is good.”

Pitching helped the Panthers out-duel the Cardinals (14-9, 3-3).

“I thought our starting pitching was good and the defense played well,” Jordano said. “Our team responded well to the losing streak to record two quality wins.”

Pitt 7, Louisville 2

In its 2008 home-opener at Trees Field, the Panthers banged out 14 hits to notch their first conference win of the year.

Morgan Kielty smacked a solo home run, and five Pitt players had multi-hit games.

Pitt built its offensive attack off its defensive effort.

Left fielder Sean Conley connected with catcher Nick Mullins to throw out two Louisville runners at home plate in the first two innings.

Dan Williams smoked an RBI single in the bottom of the first to score Conley and give Pitt an early 1-0 lead.

Mullins doubled, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by teammate Jordan Herr in the bottom of the second to push the lead to 2-0.

In the bottom of the third, the Panthers scored two more runs to increase their lead to 4-0.

Pitt starter Nate Reed allowed only two hits through the first five innings.

Louisville scored its first run of the game with two outs in the top of the sixth inning when third baseman Chris Dominguez stole home. Dominguez broke for home as Reed delivered his pitch to the Cardinals’ Derrick Alfonso and slid just under Mullins’ tag.

Pitt responded by scoring two runs in the bottom half of the sixth.

Conley ripped a two-run double through the right side, extending Pitt’s lead to 7-2.

Kielty bombed a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh for Pitt’s final run.

Reed threw his first complete game of the season and retired six of the last seven batters he faced.

Pitt 5, Louisville 4

The Panthers notched their second straight win over the Cardinals with a comeback on Saturday, as Conley knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI single to center field.

The Panthers dug out of an early 3-0 hole as the Cardinals scored a run in each of the first three innings.

Pitt responded in the bottom of the third when Danny Lopez smacked an RBI single with two outs to score John Shultz from third.

Louisville scored another run in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Jon Dao to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead.

That was the last run the Panthers’ defense, behind starter Rob Brant, would allow in the contest.

Joe Leonard then stepped up in the bottom of the sixth to rip an RBI double to score Mullins from second.

With one out, Chris Tonte grounded into a fielder’s choice on the next play that scored Kielty and cut the Cardinals’ lead to one.

Leonard singled to start the ninth inning, and pinch-hitter Zack Duggan followed with a bunt down the first-base line to reach base safely on a muffed throw that advanced Leonard to third.

A pinch-hitter ripped an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at four. Pitt’s Jordan Herr intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs.

Conley hacked at the first pitch and blooped a single into center field to score Duggan for the game-winning run.

Reliever Corey Baker picked up his first win of his collegiate career.

Louisville 6, Pitt 4

Pitt missed a chance to sweep the Cardinals and dropped Sunday’s contest in extra innings.

The Panthers tied the game at two in the bottom of the third when Leonard lined a leadoff single and Chris Warner blasted a two-run home run.

The Cardinals scored once in the sixth and once in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead.

The Panthers used a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at four.

Both teams went scoreless in the ninth inning.

Pitt reliever Ricky Breymier retired the first Louisville batter in the tenth, but he surrendered a solo home run and an RBI single to give the Cardinals a 6-4 lead.

The Panthers tried to muster a comeback in the bottom of the tenth when Conley singled to center with one out.

After a Lopez flyout, Williams hit a fly ball to shallow right field that was bobbled.

With men on first and third, Mullins struck out looking to end the game.

The loss was charged to Breymier.