Pitt Wins Series Finale 5-4 at Duke

Sunday, March 7

Durham, N.C.

1 PM

Pitt

7-3, 0

Duke

6-5, 0

Pittsburgh

Duke

Photo by: Katie Meyers/Pitt Athletics

Pitt Wins Series Finale 5-4 at Duke

3/7/2021 8:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

DURHAM, N.C. – Pitt baseball (7-3, 4-2) scored three unanswered runs to come back and win the series finale at Duke (6-5, 3-3) Sunday afternoon at Durham Bull Athletic Park. Nico Popa hit a go-ahead two-run homer to left field with one out in the eighth inning.

M8 | Pitt 5, Duke 4@Jordan_McCrum returns to the mound for the Panthers. #H2P pic.twitter.com/cJbWgDeREb
— Pitt Baseball (@Pitt_BASE) March 7, 2021

With the series sweep at then-No. 9 Florida State last weekend and the win Sunday over Duke, a top-25 preseason ranked team and receiving votes in this week's polls, the Panthers are off to the best start (4-2) in ACC play through two weekends since joining the league for the 2014 season.

Trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, Popa sparked the rally with a sac fly to centerfield to score Bryce Hulett.

Pitt received stellar outings from its bullpen by Dylan Lester and Jordan McCrum. Lester entered in the fourth inning with two outs and threw three scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts and just two hits and one walk allowed. McCrum was even more lights out while registering the final seven outs, giving up only one hit and no walks along with three strikeouts.

After Duke scored in its first trip to the plate, the Panthers responded with a run in the next inning. Ron Washington, Jr. led off with a double to left field and advanced to third base on a groundout by David Yanni. After Samuel Frontino walked and Hulett was hit by a pitch, another groundout by Riley Wash brought home Washington, Jr.

After Duke got back the lead with two runs in the third inning, Brock Franks knocked in Frontino with a double to left center with two outs in the following inning.

Pitt goes on the road for the fourth-straight weekend for another weekend series against a top-ranked opponent Georgia Tech, who is slotted as high as No. 11 in the NCBWA Poll.

NOTES

· Stephen Hansen started and went 3.2 innings with four earned runs, seven hits, three walks and three strikeouts.

· Popa hit his team-leading fourth homer and got his first stolen base of the season.

· Popa and Kyle Hess both tied for a game-high two hits.

· Frontino drew a game-high three walks in his first start of the year.

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