Panthers Pound Youngstown State, 12-1

Wednesday, April 8

Pittsburgh, Pa.

3:00 PM

Pitt

12-19

Youngstown State

8-18

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Youngstown State	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	2
Pitt	1	0	3	0	4	3	1	0	0	12	11	1

Panthers Pound Youngstown State, 12-1

4/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 8, 2015

Box Score | Season Stats

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PITTSBURGH -- Boo Vazquez saved one of his best individual career performances for his last game against his hometown team Youngstown State.

The senior launched two home runs -- his first career multi-homer game -- and finished 3-for-5 with four runs batted in to help Pitt (12-19) take down Youngstown State (8-18), 12-1, and end a seven game skid.

Completing the season sweep of the Penguins, the Panthers have now won 24 of the last 25 contests against Youngstown State dating back to 1999. Pitt won the first game of the season 8-4 in Niles, Ohio. Five of the last seven games in the series have also seen Pitt score in double figures.

With four RBIs, which matched a career high single-game performance, Vazquez surpassed the 100-career RBI plateau and now ranks 20th on Pitt's all-time list with 102. Vazquez's three runs scored also matched a personal-best.

Vazquez may have gotten the job done at the plate, but it was sophomore Sam Mersing (3-1) who had another stellar outing on the mound. The righty from nearby McKees Rocks took a no-hitter into the fifth inning for the second time this season and went a career-long 6.0 innings allowing only one run on three hits while striking out five.

In addition to Vazquez, redshirt sophomore Jacob Wright and senior Eric Hess had multi-hit games as six of the Panthers starters recorded at least one hit on the day. Wright went 2-for-3 and walked twice to reach base in four of his five trips to the plate. He also scored two runs and stole a base. Wright has now reached base in 21 straight games. Hess was 2-for-4 and tied a season-best three RBIs.

Junior Alex Kowalczyk only had one hit, but it was his second home run of the season and drove in two. He also scored three times.

Pitt jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first and built a 4-0 lead before Youngstown State even got on the scoreboard.

As he's been accustomed to doing lately, Wright led off the game with a base hit by doubling to left field on the very first pitch of the game. It was the seventh time in the last 12 games he's led off a game with a hit. A pair of groundouts by consecutive batters -- the second from Vazquez - brought Wright in for the game's first run.

Wright got things going once again in the third with a single back up the middle for his ninth multi-hit effort of the season and second straight. Wright was successfully sacrificed to second and one pitch later swiped third for his team-leading 12th stolen base. Vazquez followed with a single to straight away center to drive in Wright for his second RBI of the contest.

This time, however, the Panthers continued riding the momentum as Kowalczyk took Penguins starter Jeremy Quinlan (2-5) out of the park with a two-run homer to center, increasing Pitt's lead to 4-0.

Meanwhile, Mersing was working on another potential no-hit bid. Mersing previously had taken a no-hitter into the fourth inning in three of his four starts. Today was no different as Mersing retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced -- allowing only a walk and a hit by pitch through the first four innings.

Mersing received some help in the top of the fourth from his defense when Wright made a diving catch against the turf to not only keep the Penguins off the scoreboard, but to also keep the no-hitter intact.

Youngstown State finally got to Mersing in the top of the fifth, scoring a run on two hits. Josh Fitch broke up the no-hitter with a solid double to the right center gap. Fitch went to third on a fly out to right field and came in to cross the plate on a single up the middle by Kevin Hix.

The Panthers responded in a big way over the next two innings, sending 17 batters to the dish and scoring seven runs to extend their lead to 11-1.

Vazquez opened the fifth with a solo shot -- his first of the season. It was the third straight at bat from Vazquez that resulted in an RBI. An error and wild pitch allowed senior Eric Hess to drive in a run with his RBI single the opposite way. Another wild pitch and walk to junior Ron Sherman placed runners on the corners. During the next at bat, Sherman stole second, but a collision with the second baseman Hix in the base path allowed Hess to score from third while the throw wondered into the outfield.

Sherman was shaken up on the play and replaced by sophomore P.J. DeMeo, who made his way home following two more wild pitches.

Eight more Panthers came to the plate in the sixth, with three of them scoring. With one out, Pitt loaded the bases on a walk and consecutive hit by pitches. Hess took advantage of his situation, delivering a two-run single through the right side for his second and third RBIs of the day. Redshirt freshman Frank Maldonado, who went from first to third on Hess' hit, was brought in on a sacrifice fly by DeMeo.

Maldonado, who reached base twice on two hit by pitches, now has 12 on the season, which ranks fifth all-time in a single season at Pitt and 11th nationally this year.

Pitt's final run of the game came in the bottom of the seventh when Vazquez clobbered his second round-tripper of the contest.

Mersing departed after six innings of work and was replaced by freshman Isaac Mattson, who struck out one and gave up only one hit in two innings. Junior Rich Condeelis pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two. Mattson has pitched seven consecutive scoreless innings over four appearances, while Condeelis hasn't allowed a run in his last five innings.

Pitt's continues its longest homestand of the season with three more games this weekend against Wake Forest, beginning on Friday, April 10.