Friday, April 28
Pittsburgh, Pa.
4 PM
Pitt
18-21
14
vs
6
California
18-20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
California
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
1
2
6
11
2
Pitt
1
0
3
0
0
3
0
7
X
14
13
0
Panthers Score 14 Runs as They Win Third Straight Series-Opener
4/28/2023 9:03:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH, PA --The Pitt Panthers (18-21, 8-11 ACC) earned a win in their third straight series-opener behind an explosive offensive effort against the California Golden Bears (18-20, 6-16 PAC 12). Noah Martinez and Sky Duff each recorded multiple hits and reached base five times in the ballgame, they were responsible for six of Pitt's 14 runs.
Martinez went 3-4 with three singles, a double, two walks, and an RBI. Duff finished the day 2-3 with a double and three walks. With his double, Sky Duff tied the all-time Pitt doubles record with his 53rd career double. He just needs one more two-bagger to be Pitt's all-time doubles leader. Jack Anderson went 3-5, knocked in three runs ang score two of his own, registering his fifth three-plus RBI game of the season. But not to be outdone Jayden Melendez hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, his seventh long ball of the season. It has been almost a year to the day since Pitt's last grand slam, Jack Anderson had their most recent one on April 30, 2022 against North Carolina A&T.
After a clean first inning by starter Jack Sokol, the Panthers gave him an early cushion. A leadoff double by Sky Duff and a walk by Noah Martinez had runners at first and second with Jack Anderson at the dish. He bounced a ball through the third baseman's legs and into left field, scoring Duff on the play and giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.
Cal came back strong two innings later to take their first and only lead of this ballgame in the top of the third inning. After a Cade Campbell single, Caleb Lomavita hit a two-run shot over the centerfield wall to put the Golden Bears up 2-1.
Pitt answered back, as they did in every inning after Cal scored today, with a three-spot in the bottom of the third. Noah Martinez got the ball rolling with a leadoff single to left field. Jack Anderson ripped a double down the left field line for his first of three RBI today, scoring Martinez and knotting this one at two apiece. Kyle Hess lined a double of his own down the opposite foul line in right field, plating Anderson, and giving the Panthers back a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Justin Acal wanted in on the fun in the bottom of the third, shooting a ball up the middle and bringing home Hess. Pitt led 4-2 after three full innings of play.
California's first baseman Peyton Shulze put a ball over the high wall in the left-center to bring the Golden Bears within one in the sixth.
The Panthers put together a lot of quality at-bats with two outs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, tacking on three more in the inning. Sky Duff worked his second walk of the game to get things going with two outs for Pitt. A hit by pitch for Jayden Melendez put Duff in scoring position for Pitt's RBI leader, Noah Martinez. Martinez would put a ball through the left side into left field and bring home Duff. Jack Anderson shot a 2-1 pitch up the middle that scored Melendez from second, Anderson's second RBI of the day. Wild pitch that found its way in foul territory up the first base line would score Martinez all the way from second, putting Pitt up 7-3.
Dylan Simmons relieved Jack Sokol of his duties to start the seventh inning, threw two innings, gave up one run, and struck out four of the eight batters he faced. Another quality start from Jack Sokol ended with three earned runs over six innings pitched and four strikeouts.
Cal added a run in the top of the 8th, but Pitt would more than answer in the home-half of the inning. Noah Martinez led off the inning with a double in the right-center gap, Jack Anderson brought him home on a single down the leftfield line, his third hit and third RBI of the ballgame. Kyle Hess followed that up with his ACC leading fourth triple of the year, scoring Anderson from first and putting Pitt up 9-4. CJ Funk lined a ball deep enough to the leftfielder to score Hess from third, Panthers were now up 10-4. Dom Popa reached first on an error by the shortstop, in addition to walks by Justin Acal and Sky Duff (his third of the game) loaded the bases for Jayden Melendez. Melendez would sky a ball and land it just over the leftfield wall for a grand slam, completing a seven-run eighth inning for the Panthers as they led 14-4 heading into the ninth.
Nash Bryan came on in the ninth inning yet again to close it out for the Panthers. Cal tacked on two more runs on a pinch-hit home run, but Bryan would get the job done. Pitt would win this series-opener by a final score of 14-6.
Pitt looks to clinch the series tomorrow afternoon, Saturday April 29, first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Martinez went 3-4 with three singles, a double, two walks, and an RBI. Duff finished the day 2-3 with a double and three walks. With his double, Sky Duff tied the all-time Pitt doubles record with his 53rd career double. He just needs one more two-bagger to be Pitt's all-time doubles leader. Jack Anderson went 3-5, knocked in three runs ang score two of his own, registering his fifth three-plus RBI game of the season. But not to be outdone Jayden Melendez hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, his seventh long ball of the season. It has been almost a year to the day since Pitt's last grand slam, Jack Anderson had their most recent one on April 30, 2022 against North Carolina A&T.
After a clean first inning by starter Jack Sokol, the Panthers gave him an early cushion. A leadoff double by Sky Duff and a walk by Noah Martinez had runners at first and second with Jack Anderson at the dish. He bounced a ball through the third baseman's legs and into left field, scoring Duff on the play and giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.
Cal came back strong two innings later to take their first and only lead of this ballgame in the top of the third inning. After a Cade Campbell single, Caleb Lomavita hit a two-run shot over the centerfield wall to put the Golden Bears up 2-1.
Pitt answered back, as they did in every inning after Cal scored today, with a three-spot in the bottom of the third. Noah Martinez got the ball rolling with a leadoff single to left field. Jack Anderson ripped a double down the left field line for his first of three RBI today, scoring Martinez and knotting this one at two apiece. Kyle Hess lined a double of his own down the opposite foul line in right field, plating Anderson, and giving the Panthers back a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Justin Acal wanted in on the fun in the bottom of the third, shooting a ball up the middle and bringing home Hess. Pitt led 4-2 after three full innings of play.
California's first baseman Peyton Shulze put a ball over the high wall in the left-center to bring the Golden Bears within one in the sixth.
The Panthers put together a lot of quality at-bats with two outs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, tacking on three more in the inning. Sky Duff worked his second walk of the game to get things going with two outs for Pitt. A hit by pitch for Jayden Melendez put Duff in scoring position for Pitt's RBI leader, Noah Martinez. Martinez would put a ball through the left side into left field and bring home Duff. Jack Anderson shot a 2-1 pitch up the middle that scored Melendez from second, Anderson's second RBI of the day. Wild pitch that found its way in foul territory up the first base line would score Martinez all the way from second, putting Pitt up 7-3.
Dylan Simmons relieved Jack Sokol of his duties to start the seventh inning, threw two innings, gave up one run, and struck out four of the eight batters he faced. Another quality start from Jack Sokol ended with three earned runs over six innings pitched and four strikeouts.
Cal added a run in the top of the 8th, but Pitt would more than answer in the home-half of the inning. Noah Martinez led off the inning with a double in the right-center gap, Jack Anderson brought him home on a single down the leftfield line, his third hit and third RBI of the ballgame. Kyle Hess followed that up with his ACC leading fourth triple of the year, scoring Anderson from first and putting Pitt up 9-4. CJ Funk lined a ball deep enough to the leftfielder to score Hess from third, Panthers were now up 10-4. Dom Popa reached first on an error by the shortstop, in addition to walks by Justin Acal and Sky Duff (his third of the game) loaded the bases for Jayden Melendez. Melendez would sky a ball and land it just over the leftfield wall for a grand slam, completing a seven-run eighth inning for the Panthers as they led 14-4 heading into the ninth.
Nash Bryan came on in the ninth inning yet again to close it out for the Panthers. Cal tacked on two more runs on a pinch-hit home run, but Bryan would get the job done. Pitt would win this series-opener by a final score of 14-6.
Pitt looks to clinch the series tomorrow afternoon, Saturday April 29, first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sokol, Jack (5-2)
L: Austin Turkington (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Peyton Schulze 1 ; Nathan Manning 1
HR: Caleb Lomavita 1 ; Peyton Schulze 1 ; Joey Donnelly 1
RBI: Caleb Lomavita 2 ; Peyton Schulze 2 ; Joey Donnelly 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Caleb Lomavita 2 ; Peyton Schulze 1 ; Nathan Manning 1 ; Cade Campbell 1 ; Joey Donnelly 1
SB: Caleb Lomavita 2
Batting:
2B: Duff, Sky 1 ; Martinez, Noah 1 ; Anderson, Jack 1 ; Hess, Kyle 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 1
3B: Hess, Kyle 1
HR: Melendez, Jayden 1
RBI: Melendez, Jayden 4 ; Martinez, Noah 1 ; Anderson, Jack 3 ; Hess, Kyle 2 ; Funk, C.J. 1 ; Acal, Justin 1
SF: Funk, C.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Duff, Sky 3 ; Melendez, Jayden 2 ; Martinez, Noah 3 ; Anderson, Jack 2 ; Hess, Kyle 2 ; Acal, Justin 1 ; Popa, Dom 1
SB: LaSala, Anthony 1
CS: Funk, C.J. 1 ; Acal, Justin 1
HBP: Melendez, Jayden 1 ; Funk, C.J. 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
INF
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1B/C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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