Panthers Claim 9-4 Exhibition Win over Ontario Blue Jays
10/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score
PITTSBURGH – As part of its fall programming, the University of Pittsburgh baseball team welcomed the Ontario Blue Jays to Cost Field on Sunday, defeating the elite club team, 9-4, in 11 scheduled innings.
Eleven separate players notched hits for the Panthers, while 12 hurlers made appearances for Pitt in the contest – each working no more than an inning.
“I felt very good about the way we played today,” said head coach Joe Jordano. “We were clean defensively. We’ve taken a lot more reps defensively and that showed today. I was pleased with our pitching staff, including a lot our young ones that came in and did a nice job for us. We swung the bats really well today against a really solid club.”
Some of the Panthers’ top returning bats made themselves felt over the course of the game.
Redshirt junior Jacob Wright went 2-4 with two triples and two runs scored with another batted in. Senior Aaron Schnurbusch collected three hits and scored a run. Sophomore shortstop Charles LeBlanc drove in a pair of runs as well, in addition to a solid defensive showing at short.
The loudest swing of the night was a three-run shot into the scoreboard in left field off the bat of sophomore Joe McHugh. McHugh, who redshirted last season, finished 2-3 overall with two runs scored.
Sophomore Jawan McAllister delivered an exciting moment with a single in the ninth. Hustling out of the box, he used his speed to stretch the shallow knock into two bases.
Josh Falk was awarded the win for firing a clean third inning. He joined a stretch from the second to the seventh in which each man that appeared on the mound for the Panthers tallied at least one strikeout.
With Pitt holding a commanding 8-0 lead, the Jays continued to grind to generate offense, plating four runs in the final two innings.
“Ontario has international experience,” said Jordano. “They’re a really talented team and very well-coached. We play this game every year and it’s really a good test for us. I really was impressed with how hard they played, even at the end.”
The team will continue its fall practice regimen leading up to the annual Navy/Vegas World Series later this month. Dates for the games are yet to be announced.