Box Score

WICHITA, Kan.- The Wichita State baseball team fell 6-4 to Pittsburgh in the first game of the 2013 season on Friday afternoon at Eck Stadium.

TJ McGreevy took the loss for the Shockers, pitching two innings and allowing two runs on two hits. Casey Gillaspie went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Mikel Mucha went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Tanner Wilt got the win, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing no runs on two hits. Casey Roche led the Panthers offensively, going 3-for-5 with two RBI.

Pittsburgh got on the board in the first inning. As the third batter of the game, Casey Roche singled into right field and advanced to second when Stephen Vranka was caught at home stealing. Sam Parente plated Roche when he singled to left. Parente then scored in the next at-bat on a triple by Elvin Soto that put the Panthers up, 2-0.

Casey Gillaspie evened the game with one swing in Wichita State's half of the first. After Garrett Bayliff singled, Gillaspie lined a ball over the right field fence for his first home run of the year to tie the game 2-2 after one.

Roche was in the middle of another run for Pittsburgh in the top of the fifth when he put his team up 3-2 on a single up the middle that scored Vranka.

The Panthers added another run in the eighth when A.J. Lardo singled to center field, then stole second and scored when Eric Hess singled.

In the bottom of the eighth, Cody Bobbit led off with a walk, and two batters later Johnny Coy hit an infield single to the shortstop. After Erick Harbutz singled to load the bases, Mikel Mucha hit a two RBI single that scored Bobbit and Daniel Kihle, who pinch-ran for Coy to tie the game, 4-4.

Pittsburgh won the game in the ninth on back-to-back singles by Roche and Parente that scored Boo Vazquez and Evan Oswald, respectively.

The Shockers and Panthers will continue the series on Saturday at Eck Stadium. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.