Pitt athletics competed in a variety of competitions this weekend. From track and field to baseball, the Panthers had an overall up-and-down weekend.

Baseball

Pitt baseball (14-15, 5-8 ACC) went 2-1 in a three game homestand against Notre Dame (17-17, 7-8 ACC) this weekend. The Panthers’ pitching once again sunk their hopes of winning the series, conceding 21 runs in the first two games of the series.

In the first game of the series on Thursday, the Panthers made a valiant comeback attempt. Down 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth with one out, Pitt loaded the bases. Then Notre Dame hit first-year utility player AJ Nessler to walk home a run, as Pitt put the pressure on at 10-8. But the Fighting Irish ultimately escaped unscathed, as junior infielder Justin Acal grounded into a double play to end the game. 

On Friday night, Pitt failed to get anything going on either side of the ball, losing 11-2 to the Fighting Irish. In a contest they’d rather forget, the Panthers’ only runs came off of two solo homers from junior catcher Jayden Melendez.

In the season finale, the Panthers avoided the sweep in an all-around fantastic performance, defeating Notre Dame 9-5. Junior starting pitcher Logan Evans provided a much-needed solid outing, giving up three earned runs over 6.1 frames of work. Pitt trailed the majority of the contest until an explosive six-run eighth inning — featuring back-to-back home runs by senior Jack Anderson and graduate student Kyle Hess.

The Panthers will look to keep up the momentum from Saturday’s win, as they will stay home to face Youngstown State in a one-game series on Monday. 

Softball

Pitt softball (17-17, 2-9 ACC) traveled to Chapel Hill this weekend to face North Carolina (17-24, 6-8 ACC), looking to build off their ACC series win over Notre Dame. Inclement weather delayed Thursday’s night game, forcing a doubleheader on Sunday. 

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Tar Heels defeated the Panthers 10-6. Errors cost Pitt, as North Carolina scored five unearned runs. Offensively, graduate student Yvonne Whaley led the way with two hits and three RBIs.

North Carolina completed the sweep of the doubleheader, winning the second game 3-0. The Tar Heels’ pitching completely nullified the Pitt offense, holding them to just three hits in the game. Despite the loss, Pitt redshirt sophomore pitcher Dani Drogemuller had a solid performance, going six innings and only giving up two earned runs.

The Panthers will look to rebound against Saint Francis on Tuesday.

Women’s Lacrosse

Pitt (4-10, 0-7 ACC) traveled to Chapel Hill to face off against the reigning national champions  No. 5 North Carolina (10-2, 6-1 ACC) for a Friday night ACC matchup.

The Panthers never stood a chance, conceding the first 11 goals of the match, leading to a 16-3 loss.

Pitt failed to stop the Tar Heels’ attack, as they scored 16 of their 24 shots on goal. Marissa White and Reily Casey played exceptionally well, leading the North Carolina attack with 10 combined goals.

However, the Panthers displayed fight throughout the second half. After the Panthers trailed 11-0 at the intermission, North Carolina only outscored them 5-3 in the remainder of the game.

In the second half, Pitt scored three goals on five shots on goal. The half featured goals from sophomore Ava Washington, junior Emily Coughlin and senior Camdyn O’Donnell.

Pitt lacrosse comes back to Pittsburgh on Friday at 5 p.m. for a matchup with Notre Dame.

Volleyball

Pitt women’s volleyball (2-0) continued their spring season with a 3-1 win against James Madison. After losing the first set, the Panthers rattled off three straight to secure the victory.

Pitt women’s volleyball returns to action on April 16 to face Kentucky in Columbus, Ohio.

Track and Field

Pitt track and field made the trip down to Gainesville, Florida this weekend for the Florida Relays. The Panthers found plenty of success in Florida, as they achieved multiple personal bests and added a few names to Pitt’s record book.

The women’s 4×400 meter relay team headlined Pitt’s weekend, earning Pitt’s only first-place finish. The team of senior Lydia Bottelier, senior Imani Clark, first-year Success Duruzor and sophomore Caleia Johnson finished the race with a time of 41.80 seconds. 

Duruzor also ran remarkably in the women’s 400-meter dash, earning the ninth fastest time in program history. Her time of 54.02 seconds earned her a No. 16 finish at the relays.

Sophomore sprinter Nigel Hussey had an outstanding weekend with two times in Pitt’s all-time top five. On Friday, Hussey placed 10th in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 20.58 seconds. His time not only beat his personal best, but also became the fourth-best performance in program history. He impressed again on Saturday, placing 18th in the men’s 100-meter dash at 10.50 seconds — a time good enough for fifth in Pitt’s all-time records.

Fellow sophomore Otoniel Badjana had an impressive outing of his own. Badjana placed fifth in discus throw with a mark of 48 meters. He also placed second in the shot put with a put of 16.78 meters — a performance worthy of second place in Pitt record books.

In the 400-meter hurdles, first-year Devin Nugent also performed well, earning a fourth-place finish. With a time of 51.57 seconds, Nugent placed sixth in program history.