Pitt
24-26
Penn State
23-23
Panthers Ten-Run Nittany Lions in Final Home Game
5/14/2024 7:49:00 PM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH – The Panthers shutout the Nittany Lions 10-0 in eight innings on Tuesday afternoon. Jayden Melendez "walked off" Penn State on his second home run of the game in the eighth inning that clinched the mercy rule.
It was Pitt's first shutout win over Penn State since 1981 when the Panthers defeated them 1-0.
Jayden Melendez had his second multi-homer game of the season which included a three-run home run and the "walk off" homer in the bottom of the eighth inning which put Pitt up 10 and clinched the mercy rule. Dom Popa went 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI on a clutch double down the line. Jake Kendro went 2-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. C.J. Funk and Sebastian Pisacreta each went 1-3 with an RBI.
Aidan Coleman provided Pitt with another quality start. The Panthers' starter threw 4.2 shutout innings, allowing just five hits and one walk while striking out four. Ryan Partridge was the first Panther out of the bullpen and needed just 14 pitches to finish his 1.2 innings in relief. Kyle Mosley earned his first save as a Panther as he threw 1.2 shutout innings while striking out two.
C.J. Funk and the Panthers got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning when he drove in Dom Popa on an RBI single to left. Popa led off the inning with a single up the middle, Luke Cantwell reached on a hit-by-pitch, and the Panthers had runner at first and second. With two outs, Funk lined a single to left as Popa scored the ballgame's first run of the day.
Penn State threatened in the top of the seventh, having runners at first and second and two outs. On a single to left, Justin Fogel threw out the game-tying run at the plate and ended the inning, keeping Penn State off the board.
The Panthers broke Tuesday's contest wide open with an eight-run bottom of the seventh inning. After Jake Kendro laid down a perfect bunt single to third and Luke Cantwell walked, Jayden Melendez blasted a towering three-run shot to left for his 14th home run of the season. Justin Fogel singled while C.J. Funk and Tyler Bischke each walked to load bases. Sebastian Pisacreta worked a walk full-count walk and brought home Funk from third. With the bases still loaded, Jake Kendro bounced a two-run single through the left side that drove in Fogel and Bischke as Pitt extended their lead to 7-0. Three pitches later, Dom Popa lined an opposite field double down the left field line and brought home two more Panthers as they led 9-0 after seven.
Jayden Melendez led off the bottom of the eighth and launched his second home run of the day to left, ending the game in just eighth inning. It was Jayden's second multi-homer game of the season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Partridge, Ryan (2-1)
L: Lordi, James (0-1)
S: Mosley, Kyle (1)
Batting:
2B: Marr, J.T. 1
Base Running:
CS: Kelley, Tayven 1 ; Michaels, Kevin 1
Batting:
2B: Popa, Dom 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 1
HR: Melendez, Jayden 2
RBI: Popa, Dom 2 ; Melendez, Jayden 4 ; Funk, C.J. 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 1 ; Kendro, Jake 2
SH: Popa, Dom 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Popa, Dom 1 ; Cantwell, Luke 1 ; Melendez, Jayden 2 ; Funk, C.J. 1 ; Fogel, Justin 1 ; Bischke, Tyler 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 1 ; Kendro, Jake 2
CS: Zuckerman, Ryan 1
HBP: Cantwell, Luke 1
