Baseball wins two at Gtown

The Pitt baseball team used stingy pitching to take two of three games at Georgetown this… The Pitt baseball team used stingy pitching to take two of three games at Georgetown this weekend, giving up only five runs during the series to get back over the .500 mark.

Pitt (22-21, 13-7 Big East) got quality starts from freshman lefty Nate Reed in a 6-2 victory Sunday and junior right-hander Rob Brant in a 9-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. Even in the second game of a doubleheader, a 1-0 loss, senior right-hander Paul Nardozzi pitched six scoreless innings before giving up the game’s only run in the seventh.

The Panthers are currently fourth in the Big East standings with two three-game conference series to play before the Big East Tournament. The series are at home against Rutgers this weekend and against Seton Hall next weekend.

Before that, though, the Panthers are at Mt. Pleasant, Mich., to play two non-conference games at Central Michigan. The Panthers played yesterday and at 3 p.m. today.

Head coach Joe Jordano couldn’t be reached for comment.

Pitt 6, Georgetown 2

After Reed’s solid 6 2/3 innings start, giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits, Peter Parise blanked the Hoyas (18-30, 6-15) on one hit the rest of the way.

Georgetown’s only runs came in the third off a throwing error and an RBI single to center field. The two runs tied the score after the Panthers scored two in the top of the inning much like the Hoyas – on a throwing error and an RBI single to center.

But that was the last time the Hoyas scored.

The Panthers, though, still had some pop left.

Pitt scored three in the fifth, getting an RBI single to short from Seth Button and a two-RBI single to left field from Brian Muldowney.

As if that weren’t enough, Dan Williams doubled in the seventh and later scored on another throwing error.

Pitt 0, Georgetown 1

Nardozzi didn’t quite have the help Reed and Parise did.

Despite giving up only one run on three hits, Nardozzi lost the decision in 6 2/3 innings of work in Saturday’s second game.

As good as Nardozzi was, Georgetown’s Michael Gaggioli was even better. Gaggioli blanked the Panthers for six innings on five hits, but left the win for Jack Bender. The freshman reliever threw scoreless seventh and eighth innings, leaving enough time for Georgetown to take the lead for good.

Not that Pitt helped its cause. The Panthers stranded nine runners and Sean Conley was the only Panther with multiple hits.

Pitt 9, Georgetown 2

The Panthers started the series Saturday morning with the offense they didn’t have in the afternoon. Using a five-run fourth inning, the Panthers plowed their way to a first-game victory.

Parise started the onslaught in the fourth after Pitt already held a 2-0 lead. Parise lined a two-RBI double to center before Morgan Kielty cleaned up with a two-run home run.

The Hoyas didn’t help themselves either. Georgetown committed seven errors in the first game alone.

Brant’s gem of a start sealed the complete victory for Pitt, striking out eight and allowing one run in eight innings of work.