Pitt Spits Doubleheader as Offense Explodes in Game Two at VT

Saturday, March 10

Blacksburg, VA

12 PM

Pitt

10-4, 0-2

Virginia Tech

8-7, 2-0

Pittsburgh

Virginia Tech

Pitt Spits Doubleheader as Offense Explodes in Game Two at VT

3/10/2018 9:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score Game One Box Score (PDF)Game 2 Box Score Game Two Box Score (PDF)Season Statistics

Panthers Collect First ACC Win with 15-10 Decision over Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team split the series finale doubleheader with the Hokies of Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon at English Field at Union Park in Blacksburg, Va., dropping game one 3-1 and taking game two 15-10.

Pitt (11-4, 1-2 ACC) used 16 hits in the final game as the offense broke open to avoid the sweep.

"It was a very long day of baseball," said head coach Joe Jordano. "Our offense clicked in game two today to get a win. I felt we were not as sharp on the mound as we have been, especially with the secondary stuff, but they battled hard and got the job done. We got some timely hitting in game two today that we didn't have in the first two games. We need to be much more disciplined at the plate moving forward. Back to work Monday."

Game One
The Panthers would get on the board in the first, as the sixth homer of the season for Liam Sabino put Pitt on top 1-0.

Starter Matt Pidich did not allow a run through the first three innings, but got in a bit of a jam in the fourth, as a single, stolen base and a wild pitch tied the game up. The Hokies would load the bases in the inning, but Pidich would get Nick Owens to ground out to end the inning and limit the damage.

The lead wouldn't last long for the Panthers, however, as a solo homer and sacrifice fly in the sixth inning allowed the Hokies to take a 3-1 lead they wouldn't surrender.

RJ Freure (2-1) earned his first loss of the season, allowing two runs off one hit and two walks in 3.0 innings, adding a pair of strikeouts. Pidich finished the game with a solid performance, allowing one run off seven hits and one walk, fanning five in 6.0 innings.

Offensively, Sabino finished the afternoon going 2-3 with the solo homer, while David Yanni, Cole MacLaren and Connor Perry added the only other Panther hits.

Game Two
The offense came to life in game two, using 16 hits to tally 15 runs to grab a 15-10 decision over the Hokies.

Virginia Tech would score first this time around as the Hokies got two off starter Blair Calvo when a solo homer and a sacrifice fly gave Virginia Tech a 2-0 lead.

Pitt would take the lead back in the fifth. After a single from Caleb Parry and double by Nick Banman, Frank Maldonado would rip a double into right to score Parry. In the next at bat, a sac fly by MacLaren tied things up. A double down the left field line off the bat of rookie Chris Cappas would score both Maldonado and Ron Washington Jr., before a throwing error allowed Cappas to score as the inning came to an end with Pitt on top 5-2.

The Hokies responded in the fourth, tying things up with a three-run inning. A walk to the leadoff man and subsequent triple would score one, before a ground out allowed the second run to come across. An RBI single into left made things 5-5.

The trend would continue in the fifth as Pitt used five hits to collect four runs and regain the advantage. After a Yanni double and Banman single put runners on the corners with one out, Maldonado would tally another RBI with a bunt single. A two-RBI double by Washington Jr. would allow Banman and Maldonado to score and put two in scoring positon for an RBI ground out for Cappas as the visitor half of the inning came to a close with Pitt on top 9-5.

A single and triple for the Hokies in the bottom of the inning would again allow the home team to tie things up.

The Panther offense didn't back down, scoring three more in the sixth to grab a lead they wouldn't let up. After a walk to Sabino and single from Yanni, Parry plopped an RBI single into left to score Sabino. Maldonado would record his third RBI of the game on a single to right before a fielding error allowed the last run to come across and the Panthers grabbed a 12-9 lead.

Yanni would smack his second homer of the season off the scoreboard to score two in the seventh and a bases loaded balk in the eighth gave Pitt a 15-9 advantage.

The Hokies would score one in the bottom of the ninth, but Yaya Chentouf closed the door as Pitt collected its 11th win of the season and first ACC victory.

TJ Pagan (1-0), who tossed 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, striking out one, earned his first win of the year. Chentouf tossed the final two frames, giving up just one run off two hits, whiffing three.

Offensively, Maldonado paced the group, finishing the evening 4-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Cappas also posed a three-RBI day, going 11-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Yanni went 3-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, adding a walk.

The Panthers return to action Tuesday in the home opener, welcoming Youngstown State to Charles L. Cost Field at 3 p.m. Pitt will continue ACC action at nationally-ranked North Carolina the following weekend.

Notes: Pitt is now 19-15 all-time against Virginia Tech and 8-7 against the Hokies in ACC play … Connor Perry extended his team-best hit streak to seven games … David Yanni extended his team-best reached base streak to 21 games, dating back to the 2017 season … Liam Sabino now has six homers on the season to rank second in the ACC … Sabino now leads the ACC in runs scored (18).

#H2P | Twitter | Instagram