Baseball Falls Short Against Pittsburgh, 3-1

Box Score (html)
Box Score (pdf)

PITTSBURGH, PA.   With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, sophomore Sean Gusrang (Burlington, N.J.) and junior Michael Rogers (Portland, Ore.) drew back-to-back walks, however Pittsburgh closer Rick Breymier induced a game-ending ground ball to sophomore Ed Brown (Edison, N.J.) handing the Pirates a, 3-1, loss. Despite the loss, junior starter Sean Black (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) (3-4) allowed only three runs while striking out six batters in seven innings of work.

Pittsburgh (18-13, 5-8) broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Joe Leonard hit a two-run double and Danny Lopez followed with an RBI single to take a, 3-0, lead.

Prior to the Panthers three-run inning, Black held them scoreless after working out of a jam in the home half of the second inning.  With bases loaded and one-out, Cory Brownsten grounded a pitch back to Black who threw home to get the second out of the inning.  Next batter, Zach Duggan, struck out swinging to end the threat.

The score remained, 3-0, until the top half of the eighth inning when senior Chris Affinito (East Brunswick, N.J.) plated Brown on an RBI ground out.  Brown and sophomore A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.) led off the inning with back-to-back singles.  Each runner advanced one base when senior Matt Smedberg (Rockaway, N.J.) grounded out softly to Panthers starting pitcher Nate Reed.

Brown and Rusbarsky finished the day with two hits each to lead the Pirates (15-17, 6-7) offense.  Junior Chris Spagnuolo (Tabernacle, N.J.) also had a hit and drew a walk.

Reed (2-4) earned the victory surrendering one run on five hits in eight innings of work. 

In addition to Black, junior Matt Singer (Bayonne, N.J.) threw one scoreless relief inning to keep the Pirates within two runs entering the ninth.

The Pirates and Panthers return to action tomorrow afternoon for game two of the three-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.