Saturday, February 17
Kissimmee, Fla.
6:30 PM
Pitt
2-1
17
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3
Toledo
1-2
1
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4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
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Toledo
0
0
1
0
2
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8
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Pittsburgh
1
5
3
6
2
0
0
0
X
17
11
0
Panthers Rebound with Decisive 17-3 Victory over Toledo
2/18/2018 12:02:00 AM | Baseball
West Earns Victory in First Collegiate Start, Maldonado Leads Offensive Charge
KISSIMMEE, FLA. – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team rebounded Saturday night with a rousing 17-3 victory over Toledo in Pitt's third game of the Sunshine State Series at Osceola County Ballpark in Kissimmee, Fla.
The Panthers offense was hot from the start, scoring one or more run in five straight innings and jumping out to a 17-3 lead through six. Pitt would load the bases in each of the first four innings, forcing Toledo to use six different pitchers in the contest.
Despite an electric offense, however, the story of the game was the return of redshirt sophomore Derek West, who made his first collegiate appearance after missing the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to injuries. West got the start against the Rockets, and was dominant in his 68 pitches, going 3.1 innings, allowing just one run off three hits, walking two and fanning four. West would get off to a hot start in the opening frame, retiring the first three batters he faced with just 10 pitches.
The Panthers struck early, plating a run in the first frame on an RBI single off the bat of Frank Maldonado, which allowed Alex Amos to score after drawing a leadoff walk. Pitt would extend its lead with a five-inning second, capitalizing off five walks and two hit batsmen. Liam Sabino, Maldonado and Ron Washington Jr. each tallied RBI in the inning as the Panthers collected a 6-0 lead through two.
Toledo would get on the board in the third with a solo shot over the right field wall to cut the Pitt lead to 6-1.
Pitt responded in the bottom of the frame with another big inning, scoring three more for its second multi-run inning of the game. Maldonado would single through the right side to score two before an error allowed David Yanni to score following a Washington at bat.
Six more Panther runs would cross the plate in the fourth, with Amos (1), Sabino (1), Yanni (2), Washington (1) and Connor Perry (1) each tallying RBI.
Toledo got two back in the fifth as a double down the left field line scored a pair and moved the score to 15-3 in favor of the Panthers. Pitt would respond, however, scoring two of its own off a Sabino RBI single and a Yanni sac fly to gain a 17-3 lead.
That would be the last scores of the game for either team as the Panthers held on for the 14-run victory.
West earned the win, and was aided by a solid performance from Chris Gomez, who tossed 2.1 innings, allowing two runs off three hits and one walk, fanning four. Lucas Maldonado, Kevin Henriksen and TJ Pagan all combined for the final three innings of work, holding the Rockets to just two hits.
Offensively, F. Maldonado led the way, going 3-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. He was joined by Yanni, who also strung together a four-RBI performance, going 1-1 with three walks and three runs scored. In total, seven different Panthers tallied one or more hit, including multi-hit performances from F. Maldonado, Sabino and Popa.
With the win, Pitt improves to 2-0 on the season. They will return to action tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the finale of the Sunshine State Classic, taking on Oakland.
Notes: The Panthers are now 6-1 all-time versus Toledo and has won five straight … Pitt is now 5-2 in games played at Osceola County Stadium … Alex Amos extends his hit streak to nine games to pace the team … Amos extended his reach-base streak to 20 games to pace the team … Derek West made his collegiate debut on the mound after missing the entirety of the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to injury … he earned his first career win in the outing … Pitt scored 15 or more runs for the first time since plating 20 against Maryland Eastern Shore on May 3, 2017 … Pitt drew 15 walks which was the first time they tallied 10 or more free bases since recording 14 on May 3, 2107 versus Maryland Eastern Shore … Alex Amos scored four runs, marking the first time a Pitt batter tallied four or more runs since Amos did it against Maryland Eastern Shore on May 3, 2017 … both David Yanni and Cole MacLaren each tallied three walks, the first time a Pitt batter drew three or more walks since Jacob Wright recorded four in a May 3, 2017 win over Maryland Eastern Shore … Nico Popa was hit by two pitches, the first time a Pitt batter was struck two or more times in a game since Alex Amos and PJ DeMeo were both hit twice during a May 3, 2017 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore … both David Yanni and Frank Maldonado recorded four RBI in the game, the first time two Pitt players had four or more RBI in the same game since Charles Leblanc and Alex Kowalczyk did it versus No. 14 Clemson on April 2, 2016 …
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The Panthers offense was hot from the start, scoring one or more run in five straight innings and jumping out to a 17-3 lead through six. Pitt would load the bases in each of the first four innings, forcing Toledo to use six different pitchers in the contest.
Despite an electric offense, however, the story of the game was the return of redshirt sophomore Derek West, who made his first collegiate appearance after missing the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to injuries. West got the start against the Rockets, and was dominant in his 68 pitches, going 3.1 innings, allowing just one run off three hits, walking two and fanning four. West would get off to a hot start in the opening frame, retiring the first three batters he faced with just 10 pitches.
The Panthers struck early, plating a run in the first frame on an RBI single off the bat of Frank Maldonado, which allowed Alex Amos to score after drawing a leadoff walk. Pitt would extend its lead with a five-inning second, capitalizing off five walks and two hit batsmen. Liam Sabino, Maldonado and Ron Washington Jr. each tallied RBI in the inning as the Panthers collected a 6-0 lead through two.
Toledo would get on the board in the third with a solo shot over the right field wall to cut the Pitt lead to 6-1.
Pitt responded in the bottom of the frame with another big inning, scoring three more for its second multi-run inning of the game. Maldonado would single through the right side to score two before an error allowed David Yanni to score following a Washington at bat.
Six more Panther runs would cross the plate in the fourth, with Amos (1), Sabino (1), Yanni (2), Washington (1) and Connor Perry (1) each tallying RBI.
Toledo got two back in the fifth as a double down the left field line scored a pair and moved the score to 15-3 in favor of the Panthers. Pitt would respond, however, scoring two of its own off a Sabino RBI single and a Yanni sac fly to gain a 17-3 lead.
That would be the last scores of the game for either team as the Panthers held on for the 14-run victory.
West earned the win, and was aided by a solid performance from Chris Gomez, who tossed 2.1 innings, allowing two runs off three hits and one walk, fanning four. Lucas Maldonado, Kevin Henriksen and TJ Pagan all combined for the final three innings of work, holding the Rockets to just two hits.
Offensively, F. Maldonado led the way, going 3-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. He was joined by Yanni, who also strung together a four-RBI performance, going 1-1 with three walks and three runs scored. In total, seven different Panthers tallied one or more hit, including multi-hit performances from F. Maldonado, Sabino and Popa.
With the win, Pitt improves to 2-0 on the season. They will return to action tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the finale of the Sunshine State Classic, taking on Oakland.
Notes: The Panthers are now 6-1 all-time versus Toledo and has won five straight … Pitt is now 5-2 in games played at Osceola County Stadium … Alex Amos extends his hit streak to nine games to pace the team … Amos extended his reach-base streak to 20 games to pace the team … Derek West made his collegiate debut on the mound after missing the entirety of the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to injury … he earned his first career win in the outing … Pitt scored 15 or more runs for the first time since plating 20 against Maryland Eastern Shore on May 3, 2017 … Pitt drew 15 walks which was the first time they tallied 10 or more free bases since recording 14 on May 3, 2107 versus Maryland Eastern Shore … Alex Amos scored four runs, marking the first time a Pitt batter tallied four or more runs since Amos did it against Maryland Eastern Shore on May 3, 2017 … both David Yanni and Cole MacLaren each tallied three walks, the first time a Pitt batter drew three or more walks since Jacob Wright recorded four in a May 3, 2017 win over Maryland Eastern Shore … Nico Popa was hit by two pitches, the first time a Pitt batter was struck two or more times in a game since Alex Amos and PJ DeMeo were both hit twice during a May 3, 2017 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore … both David Yanni and Frank Maldonado recorded four RBI in the game, the first time two Pitt players had four or more RBI in the same game since Charles Leblanc and Alex Kowalczyk did it versus No. 14 Clemson on April 2, 2016 …
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: West, Derek (1-0)
L: BISCHOFF (0-1)
Batting:
2B: CAMPBELL 1 ; GOSE 1 ; HATFIELD 1
HR: SCHWARTZENBE 1
RBI: GOSE 2 ; SCHWARTZENBE 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HANSEN 1 ; CAMPBELL 1 ; SCHWARTZENBE 1
HBP: BOLLINGER 1
Batting:
2B: Sabino, Liam 1 ; Popa, Nico 1
RBI: Amos, Alex 1 ; Sabino, Liam 3 ; Yanni, David 4 ; Maldonado, Frank 4 ; Washington, Jr., Ron 2 ; Perry, Connor 1
SF: Yanni, David 1 ; Washington, Jr., Ron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Amos, Alex 4 ; O'Farrell, Bryce 1 ; Sabino, Liam 3 ; Yanni, David 2 ; Maldonado, Frank 2 ; MacLaren, Cole 2 ; Popa, Nico 3
SB: Yanni, David 1
HBP: Amos, Alex 1 ; Popa, Nico 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
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5
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
AB
4
R
3
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
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