Baseball Splits Doubleheader with No. 1 Virginia

Saturday, March 7

Cary, N.C.

4:30 PM

Pitt

4-7, 1-1

Virginia

11-1, 1-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Pitt	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	2
Virginia	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	X	2	3	0

Baseball Splits Doubleheader with No. 1 Virginia

3/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

March 7, 2015

Box Score

CARY, N.C. - The University of Pittsburgh baseball team recorded the second victory in program history over the nation's top-ranked team as it split today's doubleheader with the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (11-1, 1-1 ACC), and handed them their first loss of the season. The Panthers (4-7, 1-1 ACC) took the opener, 1-0, and fell in the nightcap, 2-1, at Coleman Field in the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

In the teams' last meeting, the No. 1 Cavaliers took two out of three games in Pittsburgh from April 4-6, 2014. However, Pitt took the second game of the weekend, 2-1, on a walk-off sacrifice fly from Jordan Frabasilio. While there was no such dramatic finish today, both games provided constant competitive action throughout the day's play.

Game One

The opening affair featured a battle of aces as T.J. Zeuch (2-1, 1.32) and Nathan Kirby (3-1, 0.71) faced off for seven stout innings that resulted in a Panthers win.

"I told T.J. prior to the ballgame that I had a good feeling," said head coach Joe Jordano. "He's been pitching really well. He did a great job and [Ron Sherman] came through with a big hit. T.J. has really been pitching well for us; we haven't been doing much for him. We got a run for him today and that was enough."

Zeuch earned the victory after scattering four hits over 8.0 IP, striking out eight. His official pitch count on the day was an impressive126.The 6'7" righty rallied from several three-ball counts to maintain a season walks-issued total of only one - making his strikeout:walk ratio an eye-popping 32:1 on the year. Zeuch was ranked 25^th in the country in strikeouts coming into today's game - a mark that will likely improve when the leaderboards are updated.

Coming into today's start, Kirby had allowed just 11 hits through three starts. The Panthers tallied seven hits off of him on the day. Charles LeBlanc - who hadreached base in the first ten games this season and saw his seven game hitting streak end in Game Two - and Frabasilio each recorded hits in the first, but Kirby then settled in and struck out four of the next seven men he faced through the third.

The decisive inning for the Panthers appeared to come and go in the fourth. Walks by Leblanc and Frabasilio were followed by a single from Alex Kowalczyk to load the bases with no outs. Kirby then clipped Aaron Schnurbusch with an inside pitch, only to have the at-bat extended when the umpire ruled the centerfielder had not made an adequate effort to avoid the ball. Kirby recovered by firing three consecutive called strike threes - ending a prime opportunity for Pitt to take the lead.

But Zeuch's efforts on the mound presented the Panthers with another opportunity, one they would not allow to pass by. Frank Maldonado drilled a one-out triple to the centerfield wall, and junior transfer Ron Sherman delivered the clutch fatal blow to the Cavaliers with an RBI single to left.

Zeuch was replaced by Matt Pidich in the ninth, the Panthers' top reliever so far this season. True to form, Pidich, who came in ranked 10^th nationally in K/9 (14.90), struck out two in the ninth inning to earn the save and give Pitt the win.

Game Two

Picking up right where they left off in Game One, the two teams settled into another pitchers' duel. Taking the ball for Pitt was Aaron Sandefur (1-1, 2.66) to face Virginia's Connor Jones (4-0, 0.78). Although he pitched well, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks over 6.1 IP, Sandefur received the loss. Despite outhitting the Cavaliers overall, 4-3, the Panthers were unable to prevent them from manufacturing enough offense to take the victory.

"It was a good day of baseball," saidCoach Jordano. "Both teams played well. I thought we battled hard and I thought [Aaron Sandefur] did a really good job in the second ballgame. He didn't have his best stuff and got behind some hitters, but he kept battling and gave us an opportunity. We're going to have to come out hard tomorrow and try to win the series."

Virginia drew blood quickly, scoring in its half of the first in the nightcap following a leadoff double. For Pitt, leadoff man Jacob Wright recorded hits in his first two plate appearance after being held hitless in Game One.

After uneventful second and third innings, the Panthers tied the game at one run apiece when Schnurbusch got aboard after a failed attempt to squeeze in Frabasilio from third. Nick Yarnall then popped a shallow fly ball to center, but Virginia's Ernie Clement lost it in the lights. Schnurbusch, who was running all the way with two outs, scored easily, and Yarnall was credited with an RBI double.

The game remained tied until the seventh, when Christian Lowry led off the Virginia half of the inning with a base hit and was eventually brought in on a sacrifice fly.

The Panthers had one final opportunity to tie the game in the ninth after Ron Sherman led off the stanza with a walk, but couldn't bring him across.

Ryan Campbell and Nick Parnell both appeared in relief, throwing a combined 1.2 innings of scoreless, hitless frames.

Game Three

The teams will decide the series with a rubbermatch scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. Cavalier LHP Brandon Waddell (0-0, 1.93) is scheduled to go against Pitt's Marc Berube (0-1, 1.64), who pitched 8.0 innings with one earned run in his last outing at VCU.