Sabino’s Home Runs Push Pitt Past USC Upstate

Saturday, February 24

Spartanburg, SC

11 AM

Pitt

5-1

USC Upstate

3-3-1

Pittsburgh

USC Upstate

Sabino’s Home Runs Push Pitt Past USC Upstate

2/24/2018 2:37:00 PM | Baseball

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Pitt Captures Fourth Straight as Sabino Homers Twice

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A pair of homers off the bat of third baseman Liam Sabino lifted the University of Pittsburgh baseball team to a 3-1 victory over USC Upstate in the first of a two-game Saturday afternoon at the Wofford-USC Upstate Tournament.

With things stuck in a 1-1 stalemate, Sabino pulled a two-run shot over the wall in left field in the ninth inning to five the Panthers (5-1) their fourth straight win.

"Today was just a great college baseball game," said head coach Joe Jordano. "Both teams had very good starting pitching, played very well defensively and had scoring opportunities on both sides. Both pitching staffs came up with huge pitches and defensively made some big plays. I thought Matt [Pidich] did an outstanding job changing speeds, working ahead and bringing a great tempo. He kept us in the game and then Yaya [Chentouf] comes in and throws 2.1 innings of outstanding baseball to give us the win.

"On the offensive side of things, we did a much better job at the plate and had some really good at bats. Liam [Sabino] had two huge home runs for us to give us the win. That was just a good baseball game. Give credit to USC Upstate, that's a very good baseball team and they're going to win a lot of games this year. We will enjoy it for the next hour and get back out on the field against Seton Hall."

USC Upstate would score first in the second frame, as a pair of singles and a double would plate the first runner of the game to give the home team a 1-0 advantage.

Pitt starter Matt Pidich was dominant in his second start of the season, going 5.2 innings, allowing just one run off six hits. He didn't walk a man and struck out a career-high eight batters, surpassing his career mark set in his Opening Day start the week prior.

In the top of the fifth, Sabino would belt his first of the game, smacking an opposite field shot over the right field wall to tie the contest. His two run bomb in the ninth would be the difference maker, as he lifted the Panthers to the victory.

Reliever Yaya Chentouf earned the win, tossing 2.1 innings of scores work, allowing just two hits without walking a man and striking out two. RJ Freure also saw time out of the pen, throwing 1.0 inning, surrendering one hit and two walks, whiffing two.

Offensively, Sabino went 3-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Alex Amos, David Yanni, Nico Popa, Cole MacLaren and Ron Washington Jr., each tallied a hit.

The Panthers will return to action Saturday evening, taking on Seton Hall in the final game of the Wofford-USC Upstate Tournament at 5 p.m. on Wofford's campus.

Notes: The Panthers are now 4-1 all-time versus USC Upstate … Alex Amos extends his hit streak to 12 games to pace the team … Amos extended his reach-base streak to 23 games to pace the team ... Liam Sabino hit his second and third homers of the season … shots third and fourth of Sabino's career as he is now the lone Panther with multiple home runs in the early season … Sabino's pair of homers marks the first time a Pitt batter hit two or more homers in a game since Caleb Parry hit a pair against SIU Edwardsville on April 30, 2017.

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