CORPUS CHRISTI, TX \u2013\u00a0The Pitt Panthers fell in the finale of the Kleberg Bank College Classic to the host school Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Right-handed pitcher Joey Ciancimino<\/a> provided a spark out of the bullpen for the Panthers, striking out five and allowing just two hits over 2.2 scoreless innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Second baseman Trey Fenderson<\/a> went 1-3 with an RBI sacrifice fly in the loss. Kai Wagner<\/a> and Jackson Cooke<\/a> recorded Pitt’s other two hits on the day.<\/p>\n The Panthers put several runners on base early in the game but were unable to take advantage of those opportunities until the top of the fifth inning.<\/p>\n Texas A&M-Corpus Christi grabbed an early lead with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the second inning. Despite the two-run deficit, Drew Lafferty<\/a> and the Panthers were able to minimize the damage as the Islanders left the bases loaded.<\/p>\n The Islanders brought two more runs home in the bottom of the fourth inning. Joey Ciancimino<\/a> inherited a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fourth and got the Panthers out of it to keep the deficit at four.<\/p>\n Pitt got a pair of runs back in the next half inning, cutting the Islander lead in half. Four walks brought in the Panthers’ first run of the ballgame as outfielder Lorenzo Carrier<\/a> worked a full-count free pass that scored Jake Kendro<\/a> from third. Trey Fenderson<\/a> drove in Caden Dulin<\/a> on a sacrifice fly to right center and the Panthers trailed 4-2 after five.\u00a0<\/p>\n