Pitt
Connecticut
Pitt Baseball Concludes Season With Close Doubleheader Losses To Connecticut
5/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 17, 2008
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt baseball team concluded its season with two close doubleheader losses at the hands of Connecticut Saturday afternoon at Trees Field. The Panthers fell 6-5 in game one and 7-5 in game two.
Seniors Rob Brant, Brian Chrisman, Sean Conley, Nick Mullins and Dan Williams were honored prior to the start of action for Senior Day festivities. Numerous Pitt alumni were also in attendance and honored following the seniors.
Brant (Mansfield, Pa./Mansfield) completed his career at Pitt with a school-record 304.4 innings pitched and struck out a record 298 batters in his four seasons. Conley (Chippewa, Pa./Blackhawk) ended his senior year with the Pitt single-season school record in at-bats with 224.
In game one, Pitt took a 4-0 advantage with a Mullins (Brick, N.J./Brookdale CC) RBI double in the second inning and three runs scored in the fourth. Joe Leonard (Dawson, Pa./Connellsville) scored on a solo homerun in the fourth as the first of three runs in the inning for the Panthers.
Connecticut responded in a big way, however, with a five-run fifth inning, including a grand slam by Mike Olt. The Huskies would not relinquish the lead as they added one more in the top of the sixth.
Pitt added a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the UConn lead to just one run, but the Panthers were unable to tie the game in the seventh. Pitt fell in game one of the doubleheader, 6-5.
The Huskies appeared to take control of game two, holding Pitt scoreless through five innings, while jumping out to a 4-0 lead. The Panthers fought back, however, scoring three in the bottom of the sixth. With two runners on base, Leonard again stepped to the plate and sent a shot over the left center wall for a three-run homer, his seventh of the season and second of the day.
In the top of the seventh, Connecticut added three runs for the 7-3 lead, two of which were scored on Mike Olt's second homerun of the day.
Pitt's Zach Duggan (Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley) reached base in the bottom of the inning on a single to third base. Chris Tonte (Pittston, Pa./Lackawanna CC) singled to centerfield, setting up the Panthers' final runs of the day. Morgan Kielty (Burlington, Ont./Burlington Central) stepped to the plate and doubled down the left field line to drive in both Duggan and Tonte.
Due to heavy rain in the Pittsburgh area, the game was called early, resulting in a 7-5 Connecticut victory, completing the Husky sweep on the weekend.
