Panthers Fall To Fighting Irish In Finale, 7-3

Sunday, April 5

Pittsburgh, Pa.

1:00 PM

Pitt

11-19, 4-11

Notre Dame

20-10, 6-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Notre Dame	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	7	11	0
Pitt	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	6	1

Panthers Fall To Fighting Irish In Finale, 7-3

4/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 5, 2015

Box Score | Season Stats

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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt baseball team erased a first-inning, three-run deficit, but was held scoreless for the final eight innings as Notre Dame completed the three-game sweep with a 7-3 win on Sunday, April 5 at Charles L. Cost Field.

It was the 22nd weekend series the Panthers (11-19, 4-11 ACC) have hosted at Cost Field since the venue opened in 2011 and just the third time Pitt suffered a three-game sweep.

A day after Notre Dame (20-10, 6-9 ACC) got two wins on the heels of its starting pitching, it was the relief efforts of Ryan Smoyer (4-0) and Sean Guenther that led the Fighting Irish past the Panthers. The two combined to throw 7.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Smoyer, who had pitched a complete game win on Tuesday, was the first reliever out of the bullpen and allowed just three hits for his fourth win of the season. Guenther picked up the three-inning save and retired all nine batters he faced.

Sophomore Nick Yarnall homered for the Panthers, his third of the season and career, while both redshirt sophomore Jacob Wright and freshman Charles LeBlanc each posted two hits. Leblanc's multi-hit effort was the 10th this season, and included his eighth double and 17th run batted in. All are team-bests.

Junior Marc Berube (0-4) started on the mound for Pitt and surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out two.

The teams combined for six runs on seven hits in the first inning as the Fighting Irish jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only to have the Panthers counter with three runs of their own to tie the score 3-3.

On the second pitch of the game, Mac Hudgins led off with a homer over the right field fence. It was the first time Pitt allowed a leadoff shot since Indiana started the game with a round-tripper on Feb. 19, 2012 -- a span of 192 games.

Notre Dame continued its onslaught with back-to-back singles from Kyle Fiala and Cavan Biggio to place runners on the corners. An RBI groundout from Robert Youngdahl brought in Fiala and Ryan Lidge followed with a line-drive single to center to score Biggio.

Not to be outdone, Pitt answered each one of the Irish's runs to even the game. Wright started things with a single and made his way home on Leblanc's team-leading eighth double. For Wright, it marked the 20th straight game he's reached base. Yarnall then drove in both Leblanc and himself with a moon shot to right field, knotting the score at 3-3.

Looking to keep the inning alive, junior Aaron Schnurbusch worked a walk, but following two fly outs to center, was gunned out attempting to steal second.

After setting down the Fighting Irish in order in the top of the second, Pitt put two runners aboard on a walk and hit by pitch. However, for the second time in as many innings, Lidge made an inning-ending throw from home to second, this time to pickoff senior Eric Hess.

Berube got the first two batters out in the third quickly -- giving him six straight retired -- before surrendering consecutive singles, the second of which by Youngdahl brought in Ryan Bull and put the Irish back on top, 4-3.

Another successful 1-2-3 inning by Berube in the fifth turned it back over to the Pitt bats, which produced a pair of one-out hits from Wright and Leblanc. But an inning-ending double play -- Notre Dame's 42nd of the season -- ended the Panthers rally.

Pitt pitchers had retired seven straight Irish batters going into the seventh before Jake Shepski smacked a double down the right field line to begin the frame and was immediately sacrificed to third. With the infield playing in, Fiala hit a chopper to short, forcing Leblanc to back up and make the play to first and allowing Notre Dame's fifth run to cross the plate.

Following the groundout, senior Hobie Harris did his part to keep the Panthers in the game, striking out the next four batters he faced looking -- including the side in order in the eighth.

But Pitt's bats were no match for the Irish arms on Sunday as Smoyer and Guenther combined to sit down the final 13 batters of the game after the back-to-back singles in the fifth.

Notre Dame added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run single by Shepski to complete the scoring.

Pitt will play two midweek contests next, traveling to Akron on Tuesday and returning home to face Youngstown State on Wednesday. Both games are slated to start at 3 p.m.