Weekend Sports Recap | Pitt men’s basketball takes first in the ACC, Felix Wolter takes three ACC Championship titles in a row

Pitt athletics had a packed schedule this weekend, with men’s basketball making its way to the top of the ACC, track wrapping up its indoor season and more. Here’s how each team fared.

Softball

Pitt spent its weekend in Texas, going 4-1 in the University of Houston Tournament. 

The Panthers (10-4,0-0 ACC) started off day one with a doubleheader. They swept the day, beating Houston Christian 11-7 and Sam Houston 2-1. In game one, the Panthers scored three runs at the top of the first inning, capitalizing on two errors from HCU’s defense. Junior outfielder Cami Compson’s three-run homer in the third frame gave Pitt a decisive lead — one they wouldn’t relinquish. The second game of the day was a pitcher’s duel. Sophomore Dani Drogemuller pitched all seven frames, only allowing one run out of six hits and zero walks in the win. 

On Saturday, the Panthers beat both Houston schools again. Graduate student Sarah Seamans  had two home runs on the day, one per game. 

On Sunday, the Panthers ended their four-game win streak in extra innings against Illinois. They fought for nine scoreless innings with graduate student pitcher Abby Edwards, allowing Illinois just three hits. In the 11th frame, Illinois broke the tie with a single down the right-field line, ending the ball game 2-1.

The Panthers are back on the field March 3-5 at the Thundering Herd Round Robin hosted by Marshall.

Baseball

The Panthers played in a four-game series this weekend against Harvard in Florida. Behind strong offense, they triumphed over the Crimson by winning three of the four contests. 

Pitt (4-3, 0-0 ACC) took the first game of the series thanks to senior Noah Martinez’s clutch grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning, giving the Panthers a 12-10 win. 

Pitt split the day on Saturday, taking the second game in its doubleheader. After losing to Harvard in the first game in a four-run loss, the Panthers redeemed themselves in the second. Junior Outfielder CJ Funk hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, setting the tone for the next six frames. Martinez hit a three-run home run in the game as well, giving the team a six-run lead. The final score was 11-3.

Pitt dominated Harvard in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers scored 17 runs on 16 hits, eventually winning by 10 runs.

The Panthers are back on the field Tuesday in their season home-opener against Bucknell.

Men’s Basketball

In a sold-out arena, the Petersen Events Center was in a frenzy as they watched Pitt (21-8, 14-4 ACC) dominate Syracuse (16-13, 9-9 ACC) in a 99-82 win Saturday night, climbing its way back to the top of the ACC.

The first half of the game started slow for the Panthers, as they shot just 31% from the field. Still, they went into the second half with a slim four-point lead, 37-33. The Panthers came out of the locker room after the half and simply couldn’t miss. They shot 63.6% from the field, capitalizing on offensive rebounds as well.

Graduate student guard Nelly Cummings got his career first double-double on Saturday night. He racked up 14 points and 13 assists, coming off the bench for his senior night.

The Panthers close out their regular season next week starting on Wednesday. They face Notre Dame on the road at 7 p.m. 

Women’s Lacrosse

Pitt (2-2, 0-1 ACC) fell to No. 2 Syracuse (4-0, 1-0 ACC) this Saturday, 16-4, at Highmark Stadium in its ACC opener. 

Syracuse came out of the gate racking up six goals in the first period and did the same in the second. Pitt’s offense struggled to break the Syracuse defense, scoring just two points in the last 30 minutes of play. 

First-year attack Sydney Naylor scored two goals while sophomore middle Emily Coughlin and first-year middle Talia Zuco each scored one. 

Pitt plays in their second home game against Canisius at Highmark Stadium on Tuesday at 4 p.m. 

Gymnastics 

The Panthers (10-12, 2-4 EAGL) competed in a tri-meet Sunday afternoon at the Whittemore Center Arena. They bested Southern Connecticut State, but fell short to New Hampshire.

Pitt posted its season-high team score on floor with 49.350 points overall. Junior Nay’yarrah Winder kicked off the third rotation strong, earning a career-high 9.875. Sophomores Sidney Washington and sophomore Jordyn Ewing tied for first on floor scoring 9.925. The score was a career high for Ewing as well. 

Sophomore Hallie Copperwheat earned second place overall on bars with a score of 9.825. Copperwheat secured third place in the all-around as well, with 39.075 scored overall. 

Pitt competes next in Morgantown, West Virginia, in a quad meet on March 5 at 2 p.m.

Track and Field 

Pitt competed in the ACC Indoor Championship Tournament this weekend and broke multiple personal and facility records.

Graduate student Felix Wolter became the first athlete to win three straight ACC championships in program history. Wolter racked up 6,059 points in the men’s heptathlon, setting meet, school and facility records in the process. 

First-year Eva Baldursdóttir got her personal best in the women’s high jump as well, taking home fourth place at the meet. She’s currently tied for fourth in program history. 

In the finals, first-year Devin Nugent, sophomore Nigel Hussey, senior Matt Wilson and sophomore Stephon Brown competed in the men’s 4x400m relay, earning the sixth-best time in program history with a 3:09.94 time. On the women’s side, sophomore Caleia Johnson, first-year Success Duruzor, senior Imani Clark and graduate student Nikki Scherer also earned the sixth-best time in program history in the same relay with a 3:38.99 time.

The Panthers’ next meet is March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Women’s Basketball

Pitt concluded its regular season this Sunday on the road versus NC State. The team fought hard, but ultimately fell short in a 68-63 loss. 

Despite the loss, Pitt had four players score in the double digits. Graduate student guard Channise Lewis racked up 14 points and scored the most on the team. Junior Forward Liatu King scored 12 points, and junior forward Gabby Hutcherson and senior forward Amber Brown both netted 11.

The Panthers finished their regular ACC season 3-15. They’ll be back on the court against No. 10 Clemson on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. for the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 15 seed.