Pitt
Louisville
Louisville Eliminates Panthers From BIG EAST Championship, 12-2
5/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 27, 2011
Clearwater, Fla. - The University of Pittsburgh baseball team was eliminated from the BIG EAST Championship after dropping a 12-2 contest to Louisville, Friday at Bright House Field.
The Panthers (33-23) fell behind early and were unable to rally against a Louisville team that pounded 12 hits. Pitt issued six walks and went down on strikes 12 times, including 10 by Cardinals starter Travis Tingle.
Seniors David Chester and Travis Whitmore led the Panthers with two hits each.
The Cardinals (31-28) opened the scoring in the first inning, connecting on a two-run homer to right-center.
Pitt cut the deficit in half in the top of the second. Freshman Casey Roche singled home Whitmore from second on a gap shot to left-center. Whitmore led off the inning with a bunt single down the third baseline, catching the Louisville defense off guard. Whitmore then advanced to second on a stolen base before scoring.
The Cardinals added two runs in the fifth inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.
Chester and junior Rick Devereaux hit back-to-back doubles in the sixth inning, pulling the Panthers back within two.
Just as Pitt appeared to be climbing back into the game, Louisville struck again in the bottom of the frame, tacking on two more runs.
In the bottom of the eighth, a pair of Pitt errors opened up a six run inning for the Cardinals, capped by a Cade Stallings grand slam that clinched the game by the 10-run rule.
Pitt won 30-plus games for the third consecutive season and reached the BIG EAST Championship in each of the past four years.
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