Pitt Drops Rubber Match Against No. 11 Miami

Sunday, May 14

Pittsburgh, PA

12 PM

Pitt

22-27, 10-15

Miami

34-17, 16-11

Miami

Pitt

Pitt Drops Rubber Match Against No. 11 Miami

5/14/2023 5:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Gamebook Photo Gallery

PITTSBURGH, PA -- Pitt (22-27, 10-15 ACC) fell in their rubber match to No. 11 Miami (34-17, 16-11) Sunday afternoon at Charles L. Cost Field.

Sky Duff (1-5), Kyle Hess (1-3, 3B, BB), and CJ Funk (2-4, 2 RBI) were among the seven Panthers to record a hit today, Brett Heckert picked up his second pinch-hit RBI knock of the series with his single in the bottom of the sixth in the process.  For the second consecutive day Kyles Hess would line a triple down the right field line, his first time achieving that since hitting three straight triples in a string of games against Duke and Youngstown State earlier this season.

Pitt starting pitcher Kyle Mosley cruised through the first four innings, giving up only one run while striking out six.  He would be tagged for three runs in the top half of the fifth, getting pulled after only recording one out.  Dylan Simmons and Ethan Firoved threw a combined 2.1 innings in relief today, giving the Panthers a chance down the stretch.

Miami strung together three singles in the top of the first inning to load the bases with one out, Mosley would walk Miami's second baseman Blake Cyr as they led 1-0 early in this one.

Jayden Melendez got the Panthers offense rolling in the bottom of the first as he has a number of times this season, with a single to center. After Noah Martinez popped up to short, Jack Anderson started a little two-out offense with a single of his own.  Kyle Hess worked a full count walk and loaded the bases for CJ Funk.  Funk delivered with a line drive single to left, scoring Melendez. Jack Anderson took too wide of a turn rounding third and almost got nabbed on the cut off by the third baseman, that could have been the third and final out of the inning.  After video review he was called safe and in the very next at-bat Justin Acal worked Pitt's second walk of the inning to put Pitt up 2-1 at one.

There would not be much action until the top of the fifth inning. Miami worked a couple of walks and had a few base hits as they regained the lead and added onto it all in the span of three batters, adding three total runs and going up 4-2.

Kyle Hess ripped a one-out triple down the first base line in the bottom of the sixth, his sixth of the year and second in as many games.  CJ Funk shot his second RBI single of the day the other way to right field, scoring Hess, and just like that the Panthers were back within one.  Justin Acal came up in the next at-bat and doubled down the left field line. Indecision on the basepaths likely costed the Panthers a run as CJ Funk got caught in a rundown and was tagged out on the third base line, Acal was able to advance to third on the play.  Brett Heckert would pinch-hit for left fielder Dom Popa in the eight-hole with a runner on third and two outs.  And for the second time in three games Heckert delivered in a big spot, singling to center and knotting the game at four a piece.

Miami would get production from their bench as well, in the very next inning.  Dorian Gonzalez pinch-hit for DH Ian Farrow and hit a sac-fly to center field that scored Cyr and put the Hurricanes back up one in the top of the seventh.

Sky Duff singled up the middle with two outs in the ninth, recording a hit in nine of this last eleven games, as he tried to will his team to a comeback.  He was stranded on base as Jayden Melendez popped up to second to end the series finale.

The Panthers return to play this Tuesday, May 16, at 6 p.m. at PNC Park.  They will be taking on cross-state rival Penn State for the second time this year, starting pitchers are TBD.