Weekend Sports Recap | Baseball upsets No. 6 Virginia

With the semester winding down and spring sports nearing the end of their seasons, Pitt athletics has not been as busy as in weeks prior. Only a few teams took the field over the weekend, and here is how they all did.

Baseball

The Panthers hosted a series against No. 6 Virginia over the weekend and won two of the three games.

Pitt opened the series with a 9-4 win on Friday, thanks to a three-hit, three-RBI night for junior catcher Tatem Levins. He hit a towering two-run home run in the third inning to give Pitt its first lead, but the Panthers really opened the door in the sixth inning. After a bases-loaded walk, senior infielder Jeffrey Wehler hit a fly ball to right field, but the right fielder dropped the ball and Wehler slid safely into third to clear the bases.

First-year infielder Tommy Tavarez capped off the night with a solo shot in the eighth, which helped senior pitcher Matt Gilbertson collect the win.

The second game on Saturday didn’t go nearly as well for the Panthers, as Virginia demolished Pitt 18-0. Cavalier sophomore infielder Jake Gelof went 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs. The Pitt defense also committed four errors, which led to three unearned runs.

But the Panthers bounced back in the final game in the series with a 4-1 series-clinching win. First-year outfielder Nick Giamarusti collected his first collegiate hit and his first collegiate RBI in the series.

Up next, Pitt will host West Virginia on Tuesday in the second of three Backyard Brawls. This time, the Panthers will play at PNC Park, with first pitch at 6 p.m. ACC Network Extra will broadcast the game.

Lacrosse

The Panthers traveled to South Bend on April 16 to take on No. 18 Notre Dame, but couldn’t build on their first-ever ACC win from last week, and the Irish won 19-7.

Graduate student attacker Paige Petty scored three goals for the Panthers and junior attacker Carlie Leach scored a pair. But Pitt only scored one goal in three of the four periods — not nearly enough to push them past the Irish. Junior midfielder Kasey Choma led the Irish with a game-high five goals, while graduate student attacker Maddie Howe had four and senior midfielder Madison Mote had three.

For their next game, the Panthers will host George Mason on Tuesday at 5 p.m. It will be the final game of the team’s inaugural season.

Softball

Pitt hosted Boston College over the weekend for its last home series of the season, where it lost two of the three games and split a doubleheader.

The first game on Thursday saw a two-run Panther lead evaporate in the sixth inning. Boston College senior catcher Gianna Boccagno hit a home run on the first pitch she saw, then first-year Pitt infielder Kylie Griggs committed an error with the bases loaded, allowing two more runs to cross the plate. A run in the seventh capped off the 4-2 Eagle victory.

The two teams played a twin bill on Friday due to Saturday’s inclement weather, and the Panthers won the first game 7-4, thanks to a five-run fourth inning. First-year catcher Rachel Fuerst knocked a two-run dinger, then junior outfielder Bailey Drapola put the game out of reach with a three-run triple. But Boston College exacted some revenge in the nightcap and beat Pitt 7-3 to take the series.

The Panthers will visit Bucknell on Tuesday for their next game. This will be the first of eight straight road games to finish the season.

Volleyball

The Panthers hosted Michigan on Saturday for their second of two spring games. The two schools went the full five sets, but the Wolverines came out on top, three sets to two. 

Pitt won the first set 25-19, then Michigan responded with wins in the second and third sets. Both of those wins came when Pitt was leading by at least five points in each set, including a 20-13 lead in set three. Pitt forced a fifth set with a set four win, but the Wolverines found their stride and won 15-9 to clinch the spring game victory.