Banman’s Homers Lift Pitt Past Notre Dame

Sunday, May 6

Notre Dame, Ind.

1 PM

Pitt

26-19, 11-13

Notre Dame

23-25, 12-15

Pittsburgh

Notre Dame

Banman’s Homers Lift Pitt Past Notre Dame

5/6/2018 5:30:00 PM | Baseball

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Senior Goes Yard Twice in 8-7 Finale Victory

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – A two-homer day for senior Nick Banman pushed the University of Pittsburgh baseball team past Notre Dame, 8-7, in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Frank Eck Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.

Banman launched his first long ball of the game in the fifth inning, giving Pitt (26-19, 11-10 ACC) a four-run advantage. With the contest knotted up at 7-7 in the ninth, the senior would again go deep, sending a solo shot into right to put the Panthers on top.

Notre Dame would strike first, jumping out to a 3-0 advantage in the second inning after a three-run homer by Erik Gilgenbach. Pitt would tie it up in the third, as a leadoff double from Cole MacLaren and a single off the bat of Frank Maldonado put runners on the corners, as David Yanni would drop a single into right to plate one. A successful sacrifice bunt by Liam Sabino pushed two into scoring position, as Ron Washington Jr. would drop another one into right to score both and tie the game up at 3-3.

The Panthers' offense came alive in the fifth, scoring four to jump out to a 7-3 lead. An RBI single off the bat of Caleb Parry would score Yanni, who led off the inning with a four-pitch walk, and Banman's first homer of the contest would clear the bases as Pitt grabbed a four-run lead.

Notre Dame would respond with three of its own in the bottom of the inning, tying it up in the sixth.

Banman, however, wasn't done as he would launch a solo shot in the first pitch he saw in the ninth to give Pitt an 8-7 lead.

TJ Pagan, who entered the game in the sixth, would shut down the Fighting Irish offense in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order to secure the Pitt victory.

Pagan (3-0) earned the win, throwing 4.0 innings, of scoreless work, allowing just two hits, striking out three. Starter Blair Calvo went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs off five hits and one walk, striking out one. RJ Freure threw 1.1 innings of relief, letting up three runs off three hits and two walks, striking out three. Peyton Reesman also entered in relief in the contest.

Offensively, Banman was the hero, finishing the afternoon 2-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Washington Jr. was stellar for the offense as well, going 4-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Pitt out-hit the Fighting Irish 13-10 as all but two Panther starters collected a hit.

Pitt returns home for the final seven games of the season, hosting Penn State Tuesday at 6 p.m. to close out non-conference play. The Panthers will then turn their attention to back-to-back ACC series, as perennial powerhouse Louisville visits May 11-13 followed by nationally-ranked Clemson May 17-19.

Notes: The win is Pitt's 11th ACC victory of the season, tying a program record for ACC victories in a single season (2014, 11-19) … Nick Banman's home runs are the 11th and 12th of his career and third and fourth of the season … the game was the first multi-homer game of Banman's career … TJ Pagan threw a career-high 4.0 innings … Ron Washington Jr. collected four hits for the second time this season … the win was just the third ever ACC victory at Notre Dame for the Panthers.

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