Pitt
Georgetown
Baseball Season Ends With 8-7 Loss to Georgetown
5/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 20, 2006
PITTSBURGH - Despite having a 7-2 lead, the Pitt baseball team dropped its season finale to visiting Georgetown, 8-7, on Saturday afternoon at Trees Field. Pitt would not have qualified for the Big East Championships with a victory, however, as USF defeated West Virginia on the final day of the regular season to earn the eighth and final berth.
The Panthers (23-29, 10-17 Big East) got things rolling in the bottom of the second inning with a four-run frame. Senior Jimmy Mayer (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) led off with an infield single and moved to second on a one-out wild pitch. Junior Seth Button (Elk Lake, Pa./Elk Lake/Gloucester College) then singled through the left side to move Mayer up to third base. Another infield single, this time by junior Peter Parise (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman), scored Mayer with the game's first run. Senior catcher Jeff Stevens (Danville, Va./Dan River/Louisburg College) followed with a single to load the bases.
Third baseman Dan Williams (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) made it 2-0 by driving in Button with a ground out, and senior David Cline (Mercersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) drove in two with a single up the middle to make it a 4-0 game.
The Hoyas (24-32, 10-17 Big East) were able to get two back in the fourth on a two-run home run by Mark McLaughlin. Pitt starter Paul Nardozzi (Victor, N.Y./Victor), making his school-record 38th career start on the mound, had been perfect through the first three innings with five strikeouts.
Pitt got both runs back and added a seventh as well for a five-run advantage in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Williams drew a walk and moved to second on a fielding error, which allowed Cline to reach on a fielder's choice. Another fielding error off the bat of Conley loaded the bases for Jim Negrych (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis), who picked up his 60th RBI of the season by drawing a walk. A two-run single by Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Central) closed out the scoring for the Panthers.
Georgetown was able to tie the game at 7-7 in the top of the fifth with five runs off of Nardozzi. McLaughlin connected on his second home run in as many innings, a grand slam off of Nardozzi, while Brandon Davis drove in another run with a double to deep left-center field.
Freshman reliever Ryan Dunford (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon) pitched brilliantly with four quality innings out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit. That one hit turned out to be a game-winning home run, however, by Matthew Bouchard in the top of the eighth inning. Dunford (0-1) was charged with the loss but walked just one and struck out four.
Darren Sizemore improved to 7-3 for the Hoyas with a complete-game victory. He allowed eight hits and seven runs, four of which were earned, with four walks and four strikeouts. The Panthers had their season-long four-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
NOTES: Cline, Mayer, Stevens, Justin Cicatello (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore-West/Florida CC at Jacksonville) and Mike Muzeka (Lake Mary, Fla/Lake Mary) were recognized before the game as part of Senior Day...Panther alumni were also in attendance and were honored during the pregame ceremonies...Cline finished his Pitt career with a 3-for-5 performance, scoring one run and driving in two.
