Pitt Falls to No. 22 Wake Forest in First Game at ACC Baseball Championship

Wednesday, May 22

Charlotte, NC

3 PM

Pitt

26-28

Wake Forest

37-19

Pittsburgh

Wake Forest

Pitt Falls to No. 22 Wake Forest in First Game at ACC Baseball Championship

5/22/2024 6:59:00 PM | Baseball

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CHARLOTTE, Nc. – The Panthers fell to No. 22 Wake Forest in game one of their pool play round at the ACC Baseball Championship on Wednesday afternoon, 8-1.

Senior outfielder Dom Popa went 2-3 with a double and two hit by pitches, reaching base four times for the second consecutive game. Jayden Melendez drove in the Panthers' only run, in the top of the third inning, on a single to left that scored Popa from second. Luke Cantwell and Ryan Zuckerman also collected hits for the Panthers as well. With his single, Cantwell has now reached base in 50 consecutive games this season, as well as 53 of Pitt's 54 games this year.

Left-hander Ethan Firoved provided Pitt with quality relief in the middle frames once he relieved starter Aidan Coleman in the bottom of the second inning. Firoved allowed just one run on two hits while striking out five in 3.2 innings. Freshman Gavin Chillot threw 1.2 scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth innings, it was the ninth scoreless outing this season.

Wake Forest used the long ball to grab an early lead, hitting a two-run home run in the first and a three-run home run in the second. They led 5-0 after two innings.

Dom Popa and Luke Cantwell each led off the top of the third inning with singles as Pitt had runners at first and second with no one out. Pitt would lead off the inning with three consecutive singles when Jayden Melendez lined a single to left and drove in Popa from second for Pitt's first run of the game. The Panthers trailed 5-1 after three.

The Demon Deacons put runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the fourth but the Panthers would turn a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and escape the jam unscathed.

Wake Forest would add runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to lead 8-1 after seven. They would go on to win 8-1 and prevent the Panthers from advancing out of the pool play round.

Pitt will take on No. 7 North Carolina (#1 Seed) tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM. Ryan Andrade will make his fifteenth start of the season when he touches the rubber for the Panthers on Thursday.