Panthers Battle Back to Defeat Notre Dame in Series Finale

Saturday, April 8

Pittsburgh, Pa.

1 PM

Pitt

14-15, 5-8

Notre Dame

17-12, 7-8

Notre Dame

Pitt

Panthers Battle Back to Defeat Notre Dame in Series Finale

4/8/2023 5:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Gamebook (PDF)

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt baseball team (14-15, 5-8 ACC) scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome Notre Dame (17-12, 7-8 ACC), 9-5, on Saturday at Charles Cost Field in the finale of the three-game ACC set between the two teams.

"A big, big win for our guys, showing a lot of guts after a couple of hard fought games the last couple days," head coach Mike Bell said. "Glad to get back on the winning side here."

The Panthers faced a 5-2 deficit heading into the bottom of the seventh. Noah Martinez drew a two-out walk and later scored on a base hit to right by Kyle Hess to make it a two-run ballgame.

Nash Bryan then struck out a pair of Notre Dame batters in the top of the eighth, including a punch out that came after a single by the Fighting Irish put a runner on with two outs.

Pitt kicked its rally into full gear in the home half of the eighth. Making his first collegiate start, Caleb Sturtevant got it started with a two-out double down the left field line. Sky Duff then coaxed a walk, the 149th of his Pitt tenure to set the program's new career record. Brett Heckert followed with a pinch-hit single to left that scored Sturtevant and cut the deficit to one for the Panthers. Martinez then tied the game with a single to right that plated Duff. Pitt wasn't done yet, however, as Jack Anderson blasted a three-run home to center to put the Panthers in front. Hess then followed with a homer to right, giving Pitt a four-run advantage going into the ninth.

Bryan then locked down the victory for Pitt by getting the Fighting Irish to ground into a double play after a leadoff single and then inducing a game ending fly out to center after Notre Dame had put a runner on base by way of a Pitt error.

Notre Dame took an early lead in the third inning by scoring two runs on two hits and a Pitt throwing error.

Pitt responded in the sixth inning by tying the game. Hess hit a one-out double down the right field line to set the table for CJ Funk to belt a two-run home run to left, his team leading 11th homer of the year.

The Fighting Irish answered with a two-RBI double and an RBI single in the seventh to take a three-run lead, but the advantage did not hold up thanks to Pitt's heroics in the seventh and eighth innings.

Four Panthers put together multi-hit efforts in the victory. Martinez posted a 3-for-4 afternoon that included a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Hess collected three hits, including a double and his third home run of the season, to go along with two RBI and two runs scored. Funk added a single to go along with his home run, and Sturtevant recorded the first multi-hit game of his career by finishing 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

On the mound, Logan Evans gave Pitt a strong start, striking out four over 6.1 innings. Bryan then worked 2.2 scoreless frames of relief and struck out three on his way to his fifth pitching win of the season, improving to 5-2 on the year.

Pitt will open next week with a pair of non-conference games. The Panthers will host Youngstown State on Monday in a 5 p.m. matchup, then travel to Ohio to visit Kent State on Tuesday in a 6 p.m. contest.

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