PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Down 9-4 through seven innings, the Rutgers baseball team rallied to force extra innings, before falling to Pittsburgh in 10 innings, 10-9, Sunday afternoon. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Scarlet Knights, who move to 33-17 overall and fall into a first-place tie in the BIG EAST with St. John's with an 18-6 league mark. 

Facing the five-run deficit, junior Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) hit an RBI double in the eighth to start the rally. Senior Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) drew a one-out walk and Tom Edwards (Caldwell, N.J.) followed with a single up the middle before both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch as the Scarlet Knights continued their rally in the ninth. Designated hitter Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) delivered the first two runs of the inning with a two-run single back up the middle. Reliever Peter Parise came in to pitch for Pitt and Frank Meade (Linden, N.J.) greeted the Panther's new reliever with a two-run home run - his second of the game - over the center field fence to tie it up, igniting a celebration in the Rutgers dugout. 

With the score now tied, reliever Chris Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came in for his third appearance in as many days, shutting the door on the Panthers with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to force extra innings.

With two outs in the 10th, Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, N.J.) battled back from a 0-2 count to even it up before ripping a double down the left-field line. Williams then singled up the middle and Hill rounded third and headed for home where he was tagged out the plate to end the frame.

Herr then sent Lillis' first offering in the bottom of the 10th over the left-field fence to win it for the Panthers. 

Rutgers had jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the Panthers with four runs in the second inning. Gossard got it started with a leadoff single and Meade drilled a home run over the center field fence to put RU up 2-0. The Scarlet Knights then put a pair of runners on base with one out when nine-spot hitter Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) doubled down the left-field line and Frazier was intentionally walked. Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, N.J.) hit a ball which the third baseman scooped up but his throw to second to was wild, sailing into right field and allowing Callahan to score from second. A Hill groundout then scored Frazier on the next play to give RU the 4-0 lead.

Pittsburgh put together four hits and used a Scarlet Knight error to tie it up with a four-run third inning, ending starter Matt Giannini's (Millington, N.J.) day. Freshman Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came in and, following a double steal to put Panthers on second and third with one out, the Scarlet Knight reliever ended any further threat with two big strikeouts to end the inning.  

In the fourth, Herr reached on a bunt single to leadoff the frame for Pitt, was sacrificed over, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Panthers a 5-4 lead.

Pitt added to their lead with on a two-run single by Herr in the fifth to extend its lead to 7-4. The Panthers then scored two more runs in the seventh to build a five-run advantage, which Rutgers eventually erased.

Lillis was charged with the loss, with the one run in the 10th, falling to 3-3 on the year, while Pittsburgh's Parise got the win with one runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of relief. 

Rutgers returns home where it will host Delaware next Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. on Senior Day at Bainton Field.