Pitt sweeps Griffins away

Panther outfielder Ben Copeland caused a lot of problems for the Canisius baseball team over… Panther outfielder Ben Copeland caused a lot of problems for the Canisius baseball team over the weekend.

Two hits from him in the first game of the series helped Pitt score nine runs, but it was his four hits in the second game that sparked the entire Panther offense to join in on the fun.

He finished with six hits, five runs and four RBIs on Saturday, including two home runs, as the Panthers scored 22 runs total between the two games, sweeping Canisius in the doubleheader.

“That’s definitely how you want to see the offense perform every game,” head coach Joe Jordano said with a smile. “When everything is clicking, this is what we are capable of doing.”

Pitt 9, Canisius 0

In game one of the doubleheader on Saturday, the Panthers and Golden Griffins took a scoreless tie into the fourth inning before the game was busted wide open.

With the bases loaded and one out, Jeff Stevens and Dan Williams combined for a double and single to drive in a few runs. After a walk and a hit batsman, second baseman Jim Negrych stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded.

Negrych doubled in three runs to tally the Panthers’ eighth and final run of the inning.

“It took the bats a couple innings, but they came out,” Jordano said. “And they came out in a big way.”

Williams singled again in the sixth, and used a stolen base and two passed balls to round the bases and score Pitt’s final run of the game.

Paul Nardozzi notched the win for the Panthers, allowing no runs and five hits in six innings while striking out three and walking none.

“Paul did a great job on the mound,” Jordano said. “There isn’t much more you can ask for than to keep the opposition off the scoreboard.”

Pitt 13, Canisius 3

Copeland led Pitt’s offense in game two as he recorded a hit in all four of his at bats, including two home runs and a triple. He drove in four runs and scored four of his own as well, while finishing a double shy of hitting for a cycle.

“Copeland had one heck of a game,” Jordano said. “He was struggling a bit near the end of the Florida trip so it was real nice to see him play today. He saw the ball real well at the plate.”

The junior belted a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first for Pitt to jumpstart the Panther offense that scored eight of its 13 runs in the first inning.

Five more hits in the inning, highlighted by a double and single for Edgard Sucre and Copeland, accounted for four more runs.

Dan Ford added a home run in the fifth inning for Pitt’s 12th run, after Don Rhoten allowed three Canisius runs in the top of the inning.

Even after failing to get out of the fifth inning, Rhoten recorded his third win of the season, improving his record to 3-0. He pitched four and one-third innings, giving up three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking one.

“The pitching has been there all year for us so far,” Jordano said. “Both guys had strong outings and that’s something will look to continue to do. It will be important for us.”

The Panthers welcome Cleveland State to Trees Field on Wednesday, with the game scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Pitt will open up Big East play later in the week with an opening series against the Pirates of Seton Hall.

“Again it was great to see the offense out like this and get the bats going,” Jordano said. “Especially since the Big East schedule is about to get started.”