Pitt’s baseball team split their doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 26, losing 3-2 to the Bradley Bears, before defeating the Lipscomb Bisons 16-0.
Bradley
Pitt took a first inning lead against the Bradley Braves when Ron Washington Jr. drove in Sky Duff with a single. Billy Corcoran started for the Panthers and delivered a quality start with seven strikeouts, but the three runs he gave up in the sixth inning were the difference in the game as Braves starter Jacob Kisting stifled the Panthers offense for seven innings.
Taylor Catton entered in the ninth to close out the Panthers. He hit left fielder Kyle Hess with a pitch, but it was determined that Hess swung at the ball after a lengthy review. Hess leapt at the second chance opportunity and pulled a home run to right to get within one, but Catton retired the next two batters to end the game.
Lipscomb
Facing the Lipscomb Bisons in the second half of their doubleheader, right fielder CJ Funk plated two runs with a first inning single. Bisons starter Logan Van Treek lasted just 2.1 innings as the Panthers added seven runs in the third, capped by a three-run home run to make it 9-0. Hess hit a two run shot, his second of the day, the next inning.
Starter Logan Evans faced the minimum through three innings. He allowed a leadoff double in the fourth, but left the runner stranded.
The Panthers added two each in the fourth and sixth innings, along with three in the seventh. A ten-run mercy rule was enacted to call the game after seven innings.
Evans pitched a complete game shutout with six strikeouts.
The Panthers are now 4-3 on the season, and will face the Bison again at 1pm on Sunday, Feb. 27, with redshirt junior Ben Dragani on the bump.
