Here is your Big East Recap for March 21st.
Pittsburgh 5 Cincinnati 0
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team extended its winning streak to six games with a 5-0 shutout over Big East rival Cincinnati here today at Trees Field. Corey Baker pitched a complete-game shutout, scattering six hits while striking out five for his team-leading third win of the year.
The Panther offense was led by Frank Mercurio, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI including his third home run of the season, a solo shot that started the sixth for Pitt.
Baker (3-0) had plenty of help from the defense behind him as the Panthers turned two double plays in the game, one of which came in the top of the ninth with Bearcat runners on first and second with no outs. Right fielder Matt Litzinger registered six putouts in the game, including two amazing catches at the wall.
Pittsburgh Recap
Cincinnati Recap
Georgetown 5 Louisville 4
Washington, D.C. – The Georgetown University baseball team knocked off Louisville on Saturday afternoon, 5-4. The Hoyas took the lead with four runs during the sixth inning, and held off numerous Cardinal rallies. The win is the first against U of L since April 7, 2006 and snaps a six-game losing streak to their conference foe.
Louisville scored the first run of the game and sophomore Thomas Royse had faced the minimum number of batters through three innings, but Georgetown knotted the game in the fourth. Tommy Lee walked and moved to third after a groundout and a balk. Erick Fernandez plated the centerfielder with a RBI groundout to make the score, 1-1.
GU went ahead in the sixth with a four-run burst that started with small-ball. Andy Lentz reached on a bunt single to third and Kelly Muir bunted the ball back to the mound. The subsequent throw was errant and both runners were safe on the play. With first and second occupied, another bunt pushed Lentz to third despite an out being recorded. Dan Capeless drew a walk to load the bases and Fernandez picked up his second RBI of the day on a single.
Georgetown Recap
Louisville Recap
South Florida 15 Rutgers 7 (Bottom of 4th)
TAMPA – University of South Florida sophomore Ryan Lockwood sent the third pitch of the first inning over the right field wall, which started the 15-7 rout of Rutgers Saturday night at Red McEwen Field.
USF (12-7) improves to 2-0 in league play as Rutgers (8-10) drops to 0-2.
The Bulls collected 15 runs on 15 hits against the Scarlet Knights, just one day after gathering six runs from 18 hits.
“Our guys did a great job at getting great at-bats,” said Coach Lelo Prado. “Everybody went up there and had great approaches, and even the guys off the bench had great approaches. We came out with a great win tonight.”
USF Recap
Rutgers Recap
Seton Hall 9 Notre Dame 4
SOUTH BEND, IND. – Seton Hall senior starter Keith Cantwell (Tinton Falls, N.J.) (3-0) threw eight-plus innings allowing four runs on six hits striking out five while the Pirate offense scored seven runs with two-outs, including five in the seventh, as they defeat Notre Dame, 9-4, Saturday afternoon at Frank Eck Stadium. With the win, the Pirates snap their two-game losing streak.
Trailing, 3-1, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Friday night’s hero, Jeremy Barnes, took a Cantwell pitch deep over the left field wall for a two-run home run, however two two-out errors by Barnes in the visiting half of the seventh inning brought in five runs for the Hall to take an, 8-3, lead.
Seton Hall Recap
Notre Dame Recap
St. John’s 3 Villanova 2
QUEENS, N.Y. – Senior Carlos Del Rosario plated the eventual game-winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth as the St. John’s baseball team defeated Villanova, 3-2, to give head coach Ed Blankmeyer his 450th career win. Del Rosario, Jimmy Parque and Joe Panik had an RBI each, while Greg Hopkins had three hits to lead St. John’s (10-7, 2-0). Red Storm starter Bruce Kern earned a no-decision after allowing just three hits and two runs in 7.0 innings of work. Kevin Crimmel also earned a no-decision for Villanova (10-8, 0-2), allowing just two runs, one earned, in 6.0 innings.
After Kern retired the first six Villanova batters of the game, Carver put the Wildcats on the board with a solo home run to left field.
St. John’s responded to the tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. After Tim Morris drew a one-out walk, Hopkins reached on a bunt single to give the Red Storm runners on first and second. With two outs, Panik singled into left field to tie the game at 1-1.
St. John’s Recap
Villanova Recap
West Virginia 12 UConn 2
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Vince Belnome’s grand slam in the seventh inning powered the West Virginia University baseball team to its second straight victory over Connecticut, 12-2, on Saturday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field in Storrs, Conn.
Down 2-1 entering the seventh frame, the Mountaineers (14-5, 2-0) scored six decisive runs in the inning, capped by Belnome’s grand slam that gave WVU a five-run cushion entering the final two innings. Dan DiBartolomeo led off the seventh with a solo home run to left field, his third of the season, to tie the game at 2-2, and designated hitter Justin Ellis gave WVU the lead for good on a run-scoring double to right center.
Belnome drove in a game-high five runs, the second time this season the Coatesville, Pa., native has amassed five RBIs in one game. Belnome recently accomplished the feat in game two of a doubleheader against New Jersey Tech on March 8.
West Virginia Recap
UConn Recap
