Rhoten and Jacobsen help Panthers hold off Ohio, 6-4

Pitchers Mike Rhoten and Brian Jacobsen thwarted a late comeback attempt by the Ohio Bobcats… Pitchers Mike Rhoten and Brian Jacobsen thwarted a late comeback attempt by the Ohio Bobcats in the Panthers 6-4 win at Trees Field on Tuesday.

Ohio attempted to mount a comeback, but the combination of Rhoten and Jacobsen was able to slam the door. T.J. Gornati made the start on the mound for the Panthers (26-11 overall, 7-6 Big East) and gave up two runs on six hits in five innings.

“T.J. did a very nice job. He pitched a solid game,” head coach Joe Jordano said. “We went right to Mike Rhoten and he kind of calmed things down and set the table for [Jacobsen].”

Rhoten and Jacobsen combined for 3 2/3 innings and did not give up a hit. Jacobsen gave up a couple of walks in the top of the ninth, but got out of a jam with the help of Ben Crabtree lining into a double play.

The Panthers scored all of the runs that they would need by the bottom of the fifth inning as shortstop Bryan Spamer hit a towering drive that landed over the left center field fence. The home run was a two-run shot as Tom Cashman reached on a single that took a bad hop off first baseman Omari Briscoe’s glove in the hole between first and second base.

Going into the top of the sixth inning, Pitt had a 6-1 lead, but the Bobcats (20-12) sliced into that lead with a three-run inning. Panthers’ pitcher Gornati had already pitched five innings, but when he walked Rob Shrawder to lead of the inning, Jimmy Blue replaced him.

Blue gave up a walk to Briscoe and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Bobcat’s shortstop Jason Shockey was hit in the back, which loaded the bases. Tony Gandee hit a line drive that second baseman Scott Folmar knocked down and forced out Shockey at second base, but scored Shrawder.

Adam Luckette was the next Panther pitcher called out of the bullpen. Ohio opted to go with pinch hitter Clay Desantis in place of Bryan Buck. Desantis singled in Briscoe, which brought Phil Sabatini to the plate.

Gandee advanced on a passed ball and then came home when Sabatini chopped the ball high in the air off home plate. Luckette fielded the ball, but Gandee was able to beat the throw home, making the score 6-4.

Rhoten became the third pitching change of the inning, coming in to strike out Adam Fox and force Crabtree to line out to Spamer.

Pitt center fielder Ben Copeland led off the Panthers’ half of the first inning with a double and came around to score on a single by third baseman Mike Scanzano.

The Panthers added three more runs in the bottom of the third.

Copeland lined a double to centerfield, which was followed by a triple by Scanzano that went over center fielder Dan Lunsford’s head. Cashman popped out to the catcher and Spamer knocked in Scanzano with an RBI groundout.

Stuart Rykaceski grounded a double inside the left field line and designated hitter Chris Papst roped a RBI double off the left center field wall, which gave the Panthers a 4-0 lead.

Ohio came back with a run in the top of the fourth. Crabtree bounced a double over the right field wall and Shrawder lined an RBI double to left just beyond the reach of Rykaceski.

“It was a very solid effort and they are a very good baseball team,” Jordano said. “I was especially pleased with the fact that it’s a mid-week game for us and we were trying to conserve our pitchers for the Notre Dame game. We did a great job.”

The Panthers finished the day with 12 hits and are next in action April 17 at No. 13 Notre Dame, beginning at noon.

“Notre Dame is going to be a great game,” Jordano said. “It is a game that we need and we are looking forward to going out there and getting after it.”