Pitt Clinches Series Over Monmouth Behind Reed’s Strong Start

Saturday, February 22

Cary, NC

10 AM

Pitt

5-0

Monmouth

2-4

MONMOUTH

PITTSBURGH

Pitt Clinches Series Over Monmouth Behind Reed’s Strong Start

2/22/2025 3:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

CARY, NC – The Pitt baseball team clinched their second-consecutive series and improved to 5-0 with their 5-1 win over Monmouth on Saturday morning.

Pitt's 5-0 start this year is their best start to a season since 2002 when the Panthers began the year 10-0-1.

This weekend, the Panthers have received thirteen shutout innings from their starting pitchers. Left-hander Ryan Reed earned the first win of his career in the best start of his career on Saturday morning. The junior from Ridley Park, PA allowed no runs on just four hits while striking out four batters over seven innings. LHP Patrick Gardner threw six shutout innings in the series opener.

Jayden Melendez went 2-4 with an RBI single, an RBI double and a run scored. For the fourth time in Pitt's first five games, Lorenzo Carrier recorded at least two hits. The redshirt-junior went 2-3 with a walk and a run scored on Saturday, he's currently hitting .476. Luke Cantwell and Ryan Zuckerman would each record hits as well. Cantwell went 1-2 and drew two more walks, he has now drawn a team-high nine free passes already this season.

Pitt's offense got it started early with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. The Panthers had the bases loaded with one out after a Cantwell walk and singles from Zuckerman and Carrier. Melendez would bounce a ball to the right of the shortstop that scored Cantwell from third. The shortstop tried to nab Zuckerman at third but threw it away, allowed him to score, and the Panthers to add another on the play. Pitt led 2-0 after one.

The Panthers added three more in the bottom of the third, extending their lead to five. Carrier worked a one-out walk and put himself in scoring position with a stolen base. Melendez would rip a double down the third base line and drive in Carrier from second, making it 3-0 Pitt. After Pisacreta reached on a fielder's choice and Melendez advanced to third, Gavin Miller grounded out to third and drove in Melendez. Pisacreta moved up to third on a wild pitch and would score on error by the shortstop as the Panthers now led 5-0.

Reed continued to deal in the middle innings, as he didn't allow a single run over his seven innings of work this morning.

Sophomore Gavin Chillot entered to start the eighth inning and allowed just one run on one hit with two strikeouts over two innings as the Panthers clinched the series with a 5-1 win on Saturday.

RHP Drew Lafferty will make the Sunday start in the series finale for the Panthers for the second-straight week. First pitch is at 12:30 PM.