Pitt
23-29, 10-17
NC State
33-18, 12-16
Panthers Fall in Game Two in Raleigh
5/19/2023 11:10:00 PM | Baseball
Noah Martinez and Justin Acal each hit home runs this evening. Martinez's bomb in the top of the third inning was the third consecutive game where he hit a home run, his longest home run streak of the season. Johnny Long III (1-4, 2 RBI), Anthony LaSala (1-4, 3B, RBI), and Jayden Melendez (1-1, RBI) each had RBI knocks as well.
Pitt found themselves with runners on base early in this ballgame as Kyle Hess worked a full count walk and CJ Funk singled into shallow left-center field to lead off the top of the second inning. However, NC State's Matt Willadsen would retire the next three Panther's in order to get out of the jam.
The Wolfpack got on a board first, putting up two in the bottom of the second inning. After surrendering a leadoff walk, Logan Evans induced two quick fly outs to get the first two outs of the inning. Trevor Candelaria doubled to left center on 3-2 pitch as Cannon Peebles was only able to score from first because he was running on the pitch. Second baseman Payton Green singled in the very next at-bat to plate Candelaria from second.
The Panthers came roaring back with a four spot in the top of the third inning to take their first lead of the ballgame. After Sky Duff worked a leadoff walk, Noah Martinez sent his twelfth home run of the season off the top of the scoreboard in right field to knot the game at two apiece. Jack Anderson extended his single season walks record as he drew a walk following the Martinez blast. Two pitches later Kyle Hess lined his ninth double of the year into the right-center field gap, putting runners at second and third with one out. After failing to get a bunt down in his first at-bat, Johnny Long III smoked a two-run single up the middle to extend the Panther's lead, making it 4-2.
NC State got one run back in the bottom half of the inning, but Logan Evans was able to get two key ground outs and minimize any further damage. Pitt led 4-3 after three.
The Wolfpack pulled away in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring a combined 12 runs in the two innings. They scored five in the bottom of the sixth inning on a single, a sac fly, and then a two-out three-run home run by Cannon Peebles.
The Panthers did not quit, they scored at least one run in the last three frames in this ballgame, which included Justin Acal's solo shot in the top of the seventh inning, his sixth of the season.
NC State tacked on seven more in the bottom half of the seventh on a handful of RBI singles, a bases loaded walk, and a multiple-RBI double. They led 15-5 after seven innings of play.
Pitt kept fighting, as they scored two more runs in the top of the eighth inning. Dom Popa walked and was then driven in on Anthony LaSala's first career triple that was lined into the right-center field gap. LaSala was brought home by a Sky Duff line drive sac fly to left, making it 15-7. But the Wolfpack added two of their own in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI triple and an RBI groundout, extending their lead back to 10.
After replacing Johnny Long III behind the plate in the bottom of the eighth, Jayden Melendez came up to the dish and lined a ball up and middle, scoring Cam Barto who pinch ran after Jack Anderson walked earlier in the inning.
Game three is a "win and in" game for Pitt and is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Kyle Mosley will get the start for the Panthers, NC State's starter is TBD.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rio Britton (3-2)
L: Simmons, Dylan (1-2)
S: Dominic Fritton (3)
Batting:
2B: Hess, Kyle 1
3B: LaSala, Anthony 1
HR: Acal, Justin 1 ; Martinez, Noah 1
RBI: Duff, Sky 1 ; Acal, Justin 1 ; Martinez, Noah 2 ; Long III, Johnny 2 ; Melendez, Jayden 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 1
SF: Duff, Sky 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Duff, Sky 1 ; Acal, Justin 1 ; Martinez, Noah 1 ; Anderson, Jack 1 ; Barto, Cameron 1 ; Hess, Kyle 1 ; Popa, Dom 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 1
HBP: Hess, Kyle 1
Batting:
2B: Cannon Peebles 1 ; Eli Serrano III 1 ; Trevor Candelaria 1
3B: Noah Soles 1
HR: Cannon Peebles 1
RBI: Noah Soles 1 ; LuJames Groover III 2 ; Cannon Peebles 4 ; Eli Serrano III 2 ; Parker Nolan 2 ; Trevor Candelaria 1 ; Payton Green 1 ; Kalae Harrison 3
SH: Noah Soles 1
SF: LuJames Groover III 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Noah Soles 2 ; LuJames Groover III 1 ; Jacob Cozart 2 ; Cannon Peebles 3 ; Eli Serrano III 1 ; Parker Nolan 1 ; Trevor Candelaria 3 ; Payton Green 1 ; Kalae Harrison 3
HBP: Noah Soles 1 ; Kalae Harrison 1
