Pitt
Akron
Panthers Open Home Schedule With Weekday Matchups Against Ohio Opponents
3/11/2024 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH - After two cancellations, Pitt will finally opening up their home schedule as they host Akron and Youngstown State in their non-conference matchups this week.
While Pitt lost three at No. 16 North Carolina this past weekend, they battled and were never out of any game. The Panthers lost two one-run games, one of them being in extra innings, and another game where they had the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning.
Ryan Andrade had one of his best starts of the season in Friday night's 2-1 loss. He allowed just one run on four hits over his five innings pitched. Dom Popa lined an RBI single the other way in the top of the fifth inning that tied the game at one. Carolina got one in the bottom of the eighth and would win 2-1.
Jack Sokol allowed just two runs over his six innings of work in game two. Justin Fogel went 2-3 with an RBI, Tyler Bischke had an RBI double and Josh Spiegel had an pinch-hit RBI double in the top of the ninth. Pitt tied the game in the seventh with back-to-back RBI doubles by Fogel and Bischke. Carolina answered once Sokol was relieved and scored five in the bottom of the seventh. Pitt scored one and brought the tying run up to the plate in the top of the ninth but lost 7-4.
A Jake Kendro solo shot, and RBI singles by C.J. Funk and Tyler Bischke, tied game three at five in the eighth but Pitt would ultimately lose in a heartbreaker in extras, 6-5.
DOM DOING DAMAGE
• Senior OF Dom Popa is off to the best start of his career, hitting .340 with 14 runs scored and a .460 slugging percentage. He leads the team in hits (17) and doubles (6) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored (14).
• He's recorded five multiple-hit games so far this season, including a three-hit game against Maine on Opening Weekend.
• Popa has recently taken over as Pitt's leadoff man and is hitting .313 with 10 hits since then.
KEN-BOMB
• In Pitt's last seven games, shortstop Jake Kendro is hitting .480 with a .840 slugging percentage. He's collected 12 hits with eight RBI and three home runs in that span.
• Kendro leads the team in overall average (.364) and is tied for the team lead in RBI (12). He's tied for second on the team in hits (16) and home runs (3)
BRING YOUR GREEN HAT, LET'S GO
• Three Panthers currently have a hitting streak of at least five games
• Dom Popa leads the team, hitting safely in the last 11 games. Jake Kendro has recorded a hit in the last eight games, while Tyler Bischke has a seven-game hit streak of his own.
