Panthers Complete Doubleheader Sweep at Boston College

Saturday, April 7

Brighton, Mass.

1 PM

Pitt

16-10, 0

Boston College

9-18, 0

Pittsburgh

Boston College

Panthers Complete Doubleheader Sweep at Boston College

4/7/2018 11:07:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (1)Box Score (2)Season Statistics

Pitt Takes Game Two in 13 Innings

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The University of Pittsburgh baseball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Boston College Saturday afternoon, taking the opening game 9-4 and moving on to capture a 6-4, 13-inning victory in game two.

Pitt would ride a solid pitching performance in game one from starter Matt Pidich, who earned his fourth victory of the season. A clutch performance from Cole MacLaren in the late innings of game two would be the difference maker as Pitt looks for the sweep tomorrow.

Game One
Pitt used a five-run fifth inning to jump out to a lead it would not surrender in the opener, as the two teams traded runs through the first few innings.

Boston College would get on the board first, as a single up the middle in the second gave the home team the lead. An RBI groundout off the bat of MacLaren tied things back up in the third, as Nico Popa would cross the plate after a leadoff walk, a passed ball and a pop out put the sophomore in scoring position.

The Eagles would regain the advantage in the third, but Pitt would respond in the bottom of the top of the fourth. After back-to-back walks to Liam Sabino and David Yanni, Frank Maldonado would put both runners in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before a wild pitch allowed Sabino to score and tie things up.

Pitt's big fifth inning would follow as the Panthers plated five runs off just one hit, capitalizing on a hit by pitch and five walks issued by Boston College pitchers. Popa would get struck to lead off, followed by a walk to Connor Perry and a successful sacrifice bunt by MacLaren. A walk to Alex Amos would load the bases before a Sabino sacrifice fly scored the first run of the frame. Yanni would draw a four-pitch walk in the next at bat, forcing the Eagles to call on the bullpen with runners on first and second and two outs.

Maldonado would draw a walk in the next at bat, bringing home Perry and ushering another Boston College pitching change. Nick Banman would draw the fifth walk of the frame in the next plate appearance, bringing home Amos before a two-run single off the bat of Ron Washington Jr. gave the Panthers a five-run lead.

The Panthers would add two more in the eighth as a Popa triple plated Washington Jr. after a leadoff walk and an infield single from Perry allowed Popa to score, bringing Pitt's lead to seven.

Boston College cut the lead in the eighth after a two-run single up the middle made it 9-4 in favor of Pitt, a lead it would not surrender.

Pidich (4-1) earned his fourth victory of the season, tossing 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run off six hits and two walks, fanning eight, just one off of his career high. Chase Smith saw 2.1 innings of relief, surrendering two runs off four hits and one walk, striking out a pair. Kevin Henriksen closed it out, throwing 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit.

Offensively, Pitt had just three hits in the outing, as Washington Jr., Popa and Perry each found the scoresheet. Washington Jr. grabbed a pair of RBI to lead the squad.

Thoughts from @CoachJordano following a full day of baseball with a doubleheader sweep of Boston College. #H2P #EarnIt pic.twitter.com/O3BPPxH3NC
— Pitt Baseball (@Pitt_BASE) April 8, 2018

Game Two
It would take 13 innings for game two to come to a conclusion as a double by MacLaren in the 13th inning and a subsequent RBI single off the bat of Amos led the Panthers to a 6-4 victory.

After a pair of quick strikeouts in the 13th, Perry would draw a leadoff walk, coming home on a double by MacLaren. In the next at bat, Amos would line one through the middle to score MacLaren as Pitt grabbed a two-run advantage.

Yaya Chentouf would close the door in the bottom of the inning, striking out two and sending a ground ball to Yanni to seal the victory.

Boston College scored in the opening frame, as an RBI groundout following a walk, fielder's choice and a balk put two in scoring positon. The Panthers would tie it in the fourth after Maldonado doubled down the left field line, moving to third on a wild pitch. A single from Washington Jr. would score Maldonado to tie the contest at 1-1.

That would be the only scoring of the game until the Eagles plated a pair in the eighth as a two-run triple gave the Eagles a 3-1 advantage. Pitt would respond in the next frame, tying things up yet again. Washington led off the frame with a triple and would score on a single by Caleb Parry. A single up the middle by Amos would plate pinch runner Perry to tie the contest.

Pitt would take a one-run lead in the 12th, as Yanni sent a solo shot over the scoreboard in right. Boston College, however, would answer in the bottom half, as an infield single plated a run and tied it up at 4-4.

The 13th would be the difference as the Panthers scored a pair, with MacLaren tallying his second double of the season and Amos collecting his second RBI single of the game.

Chentouf (4-1) would earn his fourth victory of the season, tossing a career high 5.2 innings, allowing one run off five hits, whiffing a career-best six batters. Starter Chris Gomez threw 3.0 innings in his first ACC start, allowing one run off four hits and one walk, whiffing three. RJ Freure threw 4.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs off one hit and three walks, fanning four.

Offensively, Washington Jr. went 4-5 with an RBI, as MacLaren ended the contest 2-6 with a run scored and an RBI. Maldonado went 2-6 with a run scored, while Amos was 2-6 with two RBI.

The Panthers and Eagles will wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

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