University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
11-2
San Jose State
4-10
Carrier Continues Scorching Hot Streak as Panthers Win Seventh-Straight
3/7/2026 8:13:00 PM | Baseball
SAN JOSE, CA – The Pitt Panthers (11-2) clinched a series victory over San Jose State on Saturday afternoon with their 13-8 win. The win marked their seventh in a row.
Pitt's seven-game winning streak is their longest such streak since the 2021 season. The Panthers have scored 102 runs in those seven games.
Outfielder Lorenzo Carrier followed up his two-homer, eight-RBI, day on Friday with a career-high five-hit performance in game two this afternoon. Carrier went 5-6 with five RBIs, slugging a two-run home run and a two-run triple while adding three singles. In Pitt's last four games, Carrier is 14-for-16 with 22 RBIs, 11 runs scored, five home runs, two triples and a double.
Sebastian Pisacreta hit his fifth home run of the season and recorded a three-hit, three-RBI day in the win. AJ Nessler drove in three runs of his own on a three-run shot in the fifth inning and added his second triple of the weekend in the fourth. Julian Irizarry added two more hits to his ledger, his .439 batting average is second on the team.
Daniel McAuliff threw five innings in relief and earned his second win of the season. The right-hander struck out three and allowed three runs on four hits as he kept the Spartan offense at bay in relief.
Sebastian Pisacreta put the Panthers up early, slugging his fifth home run of the season in the top of the second inning. The Spartans responded with five runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning and led 5-1 after two.
The Panthers didn't blink and came right back with a four-run third inning to knot the game at five.
Julian Irizarry led off the inning with a single and scored two at-bats later on a Lorenzo Carrier single to center. Following Carrier's base hit, Pitt strung together five-consecutive singles to tie the game. Kai Wagner singled to center which moved Carrier up to second who would then score on a Trey Fenderson single to right center. Joey Baran reached on an infield single to third that loaded the bases for Sebastian Pisacreta. Pisacreta drove in his second and third runs of the game on a single to left and the Panthers tied the game at five.
Vincent Spizzoucco gave Pitt the shutdown inning they needed, working a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the third to keep the game knotted at five through the first three frames.
With one out in the top of the fourth inning, AJ Nessler slugged his second triple of the weekend to right center. He scored on at-bat later on an errant throw by the third baseman, giving the Panthers a 6-5 lead. Lorenzo Carrier continued his scorching hot streak by blasting a two-run shot, his third homer in his last five at-bats, to left field as the Panthers jumped to an 8-5 lead after four innings.
Sebastian Pisacreta legged out his third hit of the day on a single to third base in the top of the fifth inning. Following a walk and a fielder's choice, the Panthers turned the lineup over and had runners at the corners with two outs for the top of the order. Leadoff man AJ Nessler joined Pitt's home run party this weekend and mashed a three-shot to right, extending Pitt's lead to six.
Daniel McAuliff relieved Pitt starter Vincent Spizzoucco to start the bottom of the fifth inning and worked a flawless frame. The Panthers led 11-5 through five.
McAuliff continued to deal out of the bullpen, needing just 11 pitches to fire scoreless seventh and eighth innings.
Carrier wasn't done at the plate on Saturday, collecting his career-high fifth hit of the game in the top of the ninth inning. Pitt's three-hole hitter lined a two-run triple into the gap in right center as he extended Pitt's lead to seven.
The Spartans got a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth but McAuliff finished strong and closed it out. The Panthers went on the clinch the series with a 13-8 win on Saturday afternoon.
Pitt looks to sweep their second-consecutive series tomorrow afternoon with RHP Drew Lafferty making his fourth start of the year. First pitch is slated for 3:05 PM ET/12:05 PM PT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McAuliff, Daniel (2-0)
L: THOMAS, David (1-2)
Batting:
3B: Nessler, AJ 1 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 1
HR: Nessler, AJ 1 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 1
RBI: Nessler, AJ 3 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 5 ; Fenderson, Trey 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Nessler, AJ 2 ; Dulin, Caden 2 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 2 ; Wagner, Kai 1 ; Fenderson, Trey 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 2 ; Irizarry, Julian 3
SB: Carrier, Lorenzo 1
Batting:
2B: RAMIREZ, Alan 1
3B: FERNANDES, Alex 1
RBI: FERNANDES, Alex 2 ; ROWLES, Peyton 3 ; RICCI, Mario 1
SH: JACKSON, Dylan 1
SF: RICCI, Mario 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FERNANDES, Alex 1 ; RAMIREZ, Alan 1 ; MCCOY, Jake 1 ; WILSON, Trevor 1 ; JACKSON, Dylan 1 ; CARIGNAN, Cam 1 ; SCHEPPLER, Anthony 1 ; PHINNEY, Emmitt 1
PO: ROWLES, Peyton 1
