Panthers Fall in Hard-Fought Series Opener at No. 6 Clemson

Friday, April 19

Clemson, SC

6 PM

Pitt

15-20, 4-15

Clemson

31-6, 12-4

Pittsburgh

Clemson

Panthers Fall in Hard-Fought Series Opener at No. 6 Clemson

4/19/2024 9:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Gamebook

CLEMSON, Sc. – The Panthers fell 6-4 to No. 6 Clemson in a hard-fought series opener on Friday night.

Dom Popa recorded his third three-plus-hit game of the season, going 3-4 with 2 RBI this evening. Popa has now recorded a hit in 11-straight games. Jayden Melendez, Tyler Bischke and Ryan Zuckerman each had a hit as well.

Ryan Andrade gave Pitt a quality start on the mound tonight, striking out eight batters in 4.1 innings. The right-hander surrendered just three runs on three hits and only walks two batters. Graduate transfer Ben Kovel threw two shutout innings in relief that halted the Tiger offense and kept the Panthers in it. Kovel allowed just two bas runners over his two scoreless innings.

The Panthers grabbed the first lead of the ballgame when Jayden Melendez dashed home from third on a wild pitch. Melendez lined a single off the pitcher's leg, advanced to second on a balk and then moved over to third on a Justin Fogel groundout to first. Melendez scored on a wild pitch that skipped to the backstop and Pitt led 1-0 early.

Pitt added to their early lead and scored three more runs in the top of the third inning. Ryan Zuckerman worked a full count walk to lead off the inning, but the next two Panthers would strikeout and he remained at first with two outs. The Tigers should have gotten out of the inning unscathed, but the Clemson left fielder dropped a Justin Fogel line drive and the inning continued. After each runner advanced a base on another balk, Tyler Bischke drew a walk and loaded the bases. With two outs, Dom Popa lined a two-run single down the third base line that scored Zuckerman and Fogel and put Pitt up 3-0. Bischke, now at third, scored on the third balk of the game and extended Pitt's lead to four.

Ryan Andrade worked swiftly through the Tiger lineup in the first three innings, striking out the side in the third as Pitt led 4-0 after three.

Clemson scored in each of the next three innings and led the Panthers 6-4 after six. The Tigers hit a solo home run in the fourth, scored three runs on three hits to tie it in the fifth and then took the lead with a two-spot in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Ben Kovel came out of the bullpen to start the seventh inning and kept the Panthers within striking distance. He threw two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out one.

Pitt went down in order in the top ninth inning and fell in a hard-fought series opener to No. 6 Clemson 6-4.