Pitt Takes Series from Bryant in Back-and-Forth Rubber Match

Sunday, April 28

Pittsburgh, PA

1 PM

Pitt

18-22

Bryant

27-14

Bryant

Pittsburgh

Pitt Takes Series from Bryant in Back-and-Forth Rubber Match

4/28/2024 7:42:00 PM | Baseball

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PITTSBURGH – The Panthers took the series from the Bulldogs in Sunday's rubber match, 11-8. Pitt prevailed in a game that saw four lead changes, immediately responding anytime Bryant put runs on the board.

Josh Spiegel collected his second three-hit game of the series, going 3-4 with a solo shot in the second inning. Spiegel has hit a home run in five of his last eight games. Luke Cantwell went 2-3 with two sacrifice flies as he drove in three runs this afternoon, he's had two hits in back-to-back games and three out of his last four. Jayden Melendez hit his 13^th home run of the season on a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning and would drive in four total runs on the day. Dom Popa went 2-3 with two runs scored, two walks and a stolen base.

Ryan Reed gave the Panthers a quality, lengthy start on Sunday. Reed struck out a career-high eight batters and allowed just one earned run over 6.2 innings. Phil Fox came out of the bullpen in the eighth inning and earned a six-out save, his fifth save of the season.

Bryant got on the board first on Sunday afternoon, scoring one run in the top of the second inning.

Josh Spiegel tied things up with a opposite field solo shot to right in the bottom half of the inning. Five of his six home runs this season have come in the last eight games.

The Panthers' bats pounced on Bryant's pitching in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs to take their first lead of the ballgame. C.J. Funk led off the inning with a hit by pitch, Popa would follow suit with an opposite field single to left and Pitt had runners at first and second with no one out. After a failed bunt attempt to move the runners into scoring position, the Panthers loaded the bases on their second hit by pitch of the inning. Luke Cantwell drove in Funk from third on a sacrifice fly to dead center to put the Panthers up one. With a full count and two outs, Jayden Melendez sent a three-run moon shot into the wind over the left field wall to put Pitt up four.

Bryant matched Pitt's four-spot and tied the game on a three-run shot in the top of the fifth inning.

Pitt regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning in an identical fashion as the inning prior. Funk led off the inning with a double while Popa and Kendro each walked which loaded the bases with one out for Cantwell for the second consecutive inning. Cantwell hit a sacrifice fly to left and drove in Funk from third and the Panthers led 6-5.

The Bulldogs got that run back in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI single to left center and the game was knotted at 6 runs each.

The Panther offense responded with a three-run bottom of the seventh to regain the lead for the third time today. After Dom Popa walked to lead off the inning and stole second, Jake Kendro reached on a fielder's choice that nabbed Popa at third. With two outs, Luke Cantwell lined an RBI double down the right field line that scored Kendro all the way from first. After Melendez was hit by a pitch, Justin Fogel dropped a double deep to left that scored Cantwell and moved Melendez to third. Josh Spiegel was then hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded for Anthony LaSala who pinch hit for Bischke in the previous inning. LaSala worked a full count walk and the Panthers added another, leading 9-6 after seven innings.

Bryant continued to answer as they scored two runs on three hits in the top of the eighth to cut the Panther lead to just one. Phil Fox entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs, minimizing the damage and allowing just one run.

Pitt responded with a vengeance in the bottom half of the inning, matching Bryant's two-run inning and extending their lead back to three runs. Popa led off the inning with a single down the third base line and advanced to second a few pitched later on a wild pitch. Ryan Zuckerman roped an RBI double to left that scored Popa easily from second. Luke Cantwell singled through the left side and moved Zuckerman up to third who would score on a fielder's choice by Jayden Melendez in the next at bat. The Panthers led 11-8 heading into the ninth.

Fox finished his six-out save by striking out the side in the ninth and earning his fifth save of the season.