Pitt Splits Home Doubleheader with No. 5 Louisville

Saturday, April 2

Pittsburgh, Pa.

12 PM

Pitt

14-10, 4-5

Louisville

20-6, 6-1

Louisville

Pitt

Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics

Pitt Splits Home Doubleheader with No. 5 Louisville

4/2/2022 9:51:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Score (PDF)Game Two Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

PITTSBURGH – Pitt baseball (14-11, 4-6) split a doubleheader against No. 5 Louisville (21-6, 7-1) Saturday at Charles L. Cost Field.

Game One
The Panthers scored the game's first six runs early on, starting with a pair in their first trip to the plate. Kyle Hess led off with a double to left field and advanced to third base on the next at-bat. After Sky Duff walked, Hess came home standing up on a wild pitch. Ron Washington, Jr. then walked, and another wild pitch allowed Duff to come home easily for a run.

Jack Anderson led off the next inning with a walk, went to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Brock Franks and raced home on a double to right center from CJ Funk. With two outs, Jeffrey Wehler walked and Tatem Levins was hit by a pitch. Duff knocked in Wehler with a single through the right side.

Hess led off the fourth inning with a homer to centerfield.

The Cardinals got on the board with a solo homer and two-out RBI-single in the sixth inning.

Pitt produced what ended up the game-winning runs in the following inning. Duff doubled to left center with one out, and Washington, Jr. was hit by a pitch. Hulett brought in Duff with a single through the right side, and Washington, Jr. was able to just get home before Hulett was tagged out trying to steal second base.

Louisville ended up having the game-tying run at the plate in the final frame after an RBI-single, RBI-fielder's choice and three-run homer. Relief pitcher Baron Stuart got two straight outs on a pop-up to second baseman Wehler and strikeout to end the comeback attempt.

Game Two
This time Louisville jumped out to an early lead and never gave it up. The Cardinals picked up two runs in the game's first frame and then back-to-back four-run innings in the third and fourth.

Hess hit his second homer of the day and eighth of the year to right field with one out after Funk was hit by a pitch.

Funk hit his own homer and second of the season to left field with two outs in the fifth inning.

Washington, Jr. had an RBI-single up the middle with two outs in the eighth inning.

Using a plethora of pinch-hitters in the ninth inning, the Panthers got their final two runs. Dom Popa was hit by a pitch with one out. The bases were loaded with a single through the left side from Tommy Tavarez and Josh Overbeek walk. With two outs, Johnny Long knocked in both Popa and Tavarez with a single through the right side.

The rubber match is Sunday at 1 p.m.

NOTES

Matt Gilbertson (4-2) picked up his second-straight win over a ranked ACC squad (seven innings last week in an 8-0 home shutout over No. 20 Clemson last Friday), going seven again with two runs, eight hits and no walks with five strikeouts.
The series-opening win snapped a 12-game losing streak against Louisville, with the last win coming on May 19, 2012 (8-2 in Pittsburgh).
Duff extend his reached base streak to 46 games with a double and single in the first game and walk in the next one.
Pitt had it's four-straight game with 8+ runs (8-0 and 10-7 over No. 20 Clemson last Friday and 8-6 over West Virginia Wednesday), the first time since 2013 (12-9, 14-2 and 11-2 at Saint John's March 22-24 and 10-8 at Penn State March 27).
Hess, Funk and Wehler both had a team-high three hits, with each one recording a double.