Panthers Drop 10-7 Decision to Virginia

Friday, March 30

Pittsburgh, Pa.

3 PM

Pitt

Virginia

Panthers Drop 10-7 Decision to Virginia

3/30/2018 7:05:00 PM | Baseball

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Popa Homers in Error Plagued Contest

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team dropped the series opener against Virginia Friday afternoon at Charles L. Cost Field, falling to the Cavaliers 10-7.

"We didn't play well enough defensively," said head coach Joe Jordano. "We gave a very good team too many opportunities. We've talked about that the last couple of weeks, that we have to stick to what the game gives, and we didn't do that today. We've been so good defensively and obviously we didn't make some plays today and that gave Virginia some runs. They had a couple of errors too, so you know the game gives and it takes away. We're just not doing enough to win. As I said postgame to the guys, we just got to turn the page and come out tomorrow and make it right."

The Panthers (12-10, 2-8 ACC) got on the board early, going up 1-0 in the first inning after a sacrifice bunt from Frank Maldonado scored Alex Amos, who had moved to third on a wild pitch after stealing second and singling to right field to lead off the inning. Virginia (15-11, 4-6 ACC) would score a run of its own in the second inning via a solo home run, knotting the game at one.

Virginia would add another run in the third, but a series of Cavalier errors would allow Pitt to tally three to take a 4-2 lead. Amos singled up the middle to begin the inning, and would score on a single from Maldonado, following a hit from David Yanni and a Liam Sabino walk. Both Sabino and Yanni would come home on the next play, courtesy of an error on a single from Nick Banman.

The Cavaliers would go up by four in the top of the fourth, but Pitt would come right back and score two to tie the game at six. Cole MacLaren led off the inning with a single and crossed the plate after moving to second on an Amos hit by pitch and taking third on a passed ball. A pop fly off the bat of Yanni would be dropped in shallow center, allowing MacLaren to score. Maldonado brought Amos around on an RBI ground out in the next at bat, as the Panthers tied it up.

After a scoreless fifth, Virginia would add one in the sixth to take the lead once again, going up 7-6. The Cavaliers would add to their lead again in the eighth, scoring two to increase their advantage to three. That same inning saw Nico Popa hit a solo homer, his second of the season, to cut Virginia's lead to two, but Virginia would add another in the ninth and take the game 10-7.

RJ Freure (2-1) made his first career start for the Panthers, pitching three innings, allowing four hits while striking out three and only walking two. Kevin Henriksen earned the loss after pitching 2.2 innings, giving up two runs.

Offensively, Amos went 3-4 with three runs scored, while Maldonado tallied three RBI, going 1-3 on the day. Popa also strung together a two-hit performance, including his second homer of the season.

The Panthers and Cavaliers return to action tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. Redshirt senior Matt Pidich is set to take the hill for Pitt.

Notes: Pitt is now 3-16 all-time against Virginia and 2-11 against the Cavaliers in ACC play … David Yanni extended his team-best reached base streak to 32 games dating back to the 2016 season.

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