Pitt
USF
Baseball Drops Season Finale, Faces Louisville in BIG EAST Opener
5/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2011
PITTSBURGH - Pitt baseball fell to USF in its final game of the regular season, Saturday in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, 4-3.
The Panthers (32-21, 16-11 BIG EAST) finish the regular season as the No. 3 seed and will face No.6-seeded Louisville on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. to open the conference championship. All tournament games will be played at Bright House in Clearwater, Fla.
The Bulls (25-29, 13-14) opened the scoring in the second inning on a solo-shot to left field, but the Panthers answered with a run in the fifth, courtesy of a two-out RBI double by senior John Schultz.
With the game knotted at 1-1, Schultz again came through to give the Panthers the lead. Sophomore Ronald Sucre led off the inning with a single to left. Freshman Derik Wilson reached base after he was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by senior Zach Duggan. With two runners in scoring position, Schultz drove a ball to center, scoring Sucre. On the play, Wilson was thrown out at home by the center fielder.
Duggan put the Panthers up by two in the top of the ninth, plating freshman Casey Roche on a single to left.
Trailing by two, the first four USF batters reached base. After a bases-loaded walk brought in the first run, the Bulls tied the game on a fielder's choice. With the bases still full, the next hitter grounded a ball to Sucre, who went home on the play to get the force out at the plate. On the play, the Panthers attempted to throw out another runner, but senior catcher Kevan Smith made an errant throw, allowing the runner from second to tie the game.
With runners at first and third and one out, the Bulls pulled off a successful squeeze, ending the game.
Freshman Matt Wotherspoon pitched five innings, allowing just one run in the no-decision performance.
Despite the win, the Bulls were eliminated from post-season play after Cincinnati and Seton Hall both won their matchups.
Smith shares the batting title with St. John's Joe Panik, after both sluggers finished the regular season with identical .396 averages.
Fellow senior David Chester led all BIG EAST batters with 14 home runs during the regular season. Chester's eight home runs in conference play tie him with Stewart Ijames and Ryan Wright of Louisville. The Collinsville, Okla. native is one of eight competitors who will compete in the BIG EAST home run derby, which kicks off the tournament festivities on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
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