Pitt
27-23
Penn State
29-21
Lafferty Throws Complete Game as Pitt Thumps Penn State at PNC Park, 15-1
5/14/2025 12:16:00 AM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH - Pitt (27-23, 10-17 ACC) earned a season sweep of Penn State in run-rule fashion on Tuesday evening as they bested the Nittany Lions, 15-1, in just seven innings at PNC Park.
In Pitt's two games vs. Penn State this season, the Panthers outscored the Nittany Lions 24-3. In the last three games of the series, they have outscored Penn State 34-3. It was Pitt's first season sweep of Penn State since the 2017 season.
Pittsburgh native and former WPIAL standout, Drew Lafferty, started on the mound for the Panthers on Tuesday and shined at PNC Park. Lafferty threw a complete game and allowed just one run over seven innings. He walked one batter while striking out six in what was arguably his best start this season.
Pitt totaled 15 runs on 13 hits on Tuesday, their most runs in a game since their 16 runs against Mercyhurst on April 23rd. The Panthers have scored double-digit runs in each of their last four midweek games. Eight different Panthers recorded a hit on Tuesday while seven drove in at least one run.
Sebastian Pisacreta continued to stay hot, going 3-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a double. He's recorded three hits and two of Pitt's last three games. Caden Dulin notched a three-hit day as well, driving in a pair of runs with a double while also going 3-4.
Ryan Zuckerman (2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) and David Pedanou (2-4, 2 R) collected multiple hits tonight as well. Pedanou swiped his 20th bag of the season, making him now 20-20 on the season. His 20 stolen bases are the most in a season by a Panther since 2008. Lorenzo Carrier launched his sixth home run of the year into the seats in right center in the sixth inning.
Pitt scattered all 15 of their runs over just three innings on Tuesday. They had three five-run innings en route to their seven-inning victory.
Ryan Zuckerman led off the second inning with a triple to center and would be driven in by Sebastian Pisacreta on an RBI single up the middle for the game's first run. Carrier reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Jayden Melendez drove in AJ Nessler from third on an RBI single. Pisacreta then scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Jake Kendro. Caden Dulin drove in the final two runs of the inning on a RBI single to right. Pitt led 5-0 after two.
Drew Lafferty surrendered his only run of the game in the top of the third inning on a solo home run.
Pitt broke it open with five more runs in the fifth inning. They loaded the bases on a Pedanou single, Dulin double and a Cantwell walk. Zuckerman drove in a pair on an RBI single through the right side. After a pitching change the Panthers kept their foot on the gas. Nessler drove in Cantwell on a single which was preceded by a Pisacreta RBI ground-rule double. Jayden Melendez brought home Pitt's tenth run of the evening on a sacrifice fly to right. The Panthers led 10-1 through the first five frames.
The Panthers utilized hit-and-runs to bring home the first two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pedanou led off with a single for the second-consecutive inning and swiped his 20th bag of the season to put himself in scoring position. With Pedanou attempting to steal third, Dulin lined an RBI single through the left side. After Dulin moved up to second on a wild pitch, Pisacreta collected his third RBI base hit of the day as he singled to left. With two runners on, Lorenzo Carrier hit a line drive three-run home run into the seats in right center which put Pitt up 15-1.
Lafferty went back out on the mound for the seventh inning and worked a scoreless frame to finish his seven-inning complete game and the rout of Penn State at PNC Park.
Up Next
The Panthers host No. 15 Clemson in their final ACC series of the season this weekend.
With the ACC Baseball Championships being played next week, Pitt's series with Clemson will be played on Thursday/Friday/Saturday instead of the traditional Friday/Saturday/Sunday schedule.
First pitch on Thursday will be at 6 PM.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lafferty, Drew (4-2)
L: Horwat, Mason (4-5)
Batting:
2B: Kling, Paxton 1
HR: Weingartner, Ryan 1
RBI: Weingartner, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Weingartner, Ryan 1
SB: Weingartner, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Dulin, Caden 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 1
3B: Zuckerman, Ryan 1
HR: Carrier, Lorenzo 1
RBI: Dulin, Caden 2 ; Zuckerman, Ryan 2 ; Nessler, AJ 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 3 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 3 ; Melendez, Jayden 2 ; Kendro, Jake 1
SF: Melendez, Jayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pedanou, David 2 ; Dulin, Caden 2 ; Cantwell, Luke 1 ; Zuckerman, Ryan 2 ; Nessler, AJ 3 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 2 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 1 ; Melendez, Jayden 1 ; Kendro, Jake 1
SB: Pedanou, David 1
HBP: Nessler, AJ 1 ; Melendez, Jayden 1
