Baseball: Panthers sweep Duke Blue Devils in first ACC home series

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The Pitt baseball team maintained its momentum from a pair of wins during mid-week play as the Panthers swept the Duke Blue Devils on Friday and Saturday. After his team was swept a week ago in Blacksburg, Va., against the Virginia Tech Hokies, Pitt head coach Joe Jordano said this was a “great week” for the Panthers. 

“We were 5-0 this week and really played well after coming off of a disappointing weekend last weekend,” Jordano said. “This team really battled back and played well the entire week. We just beat a very good baseball team, and they’re going to be right there at the end. We’re very pleased with where we’re at.” 

Pitt (12-10, 4-5 ACC) is now on a five-game winning streak, but remains tied for last place in the conference’s Coastal Division with Duke (14-11, 4-5 ACC).

Game 1: Pitt 3, Duke 2

Behind a strong start by seniorRhys Aldenhoven (2-1), the Panthers kept the Blue Devils’ offense in check while allowing their own bats time enough to erase a late deficit. 

Pitt took a 1-0 lead with Matt Johnson scoring an unearned run after he reached on an error, then scored on a passed ball. 

That lead lasted until the top of the fifth, when Duke pushed a pair of runs across with some opportunistic hitting early in the frame. Matt Berezo worked Aldenhoven into a 3-1 hitter’s count, then singled to right to lead off the inning. 

The next batter, Ryan Deitrich, sent the third pitch Aldenhoven offered him over the left-field wall to put the Blue Devils up 2-1. 

Duke then loaded the bases that same inning, but Aldenhoven escaped the jam by striking Chris Marconcini out to end the frame. Aldenhoven tossed two more scoreless frames, allowing only a pair of hits. 

After falling behind, the Panthers quickly tied the contest again in the bottom half of the fifth after Jordan Frabasilio and Johnson led off with singles. Frabasilio scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2 after moving to third on a bunt by catcher Manny Pazos. 

In the next frame, Casey Roche worked a leadoff walk then made his way around the basepaths, eventually scoring from second on an RBI single from Frabasilio for a 3-2 Panther lead. 

Out of the bullpen, Sam Mersing allowed one run in the eighth, but Jon Danielczyk closed the game with 1 2/3 of an inning’s work for his first save of the year.

Game 2: Pitt 5, Duke 1

The Panthers moved their win-loss record above the .500 mark Saturday by taking control of the game early. 

After the Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a balk by starter Joe Harvey, Pitt responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Once Pitt had the lead, it never gave it back as the pitching staff kept Duke off the board for the game’s final eight innings. 

Harvey (1-1) earned his first win of the year by allowing one run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out a career-high eight batters and walked three. 

From the bullpen, Hobie Harris threw 2 1/3 innings for his second save of the season. 

Pitt sent nine men to the plate in the first inning and received run-scoring hits from Roche, Frabasilio and Eric Hess as the Panthers got hits early and often off against Duke starter Andrew Istler.. 

The Panthers added another run in the second after Stephen Vranka led off with a double to left, then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Boo Vazquez. They added one more insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single from Dylan Wolsonovich to score Frabasilio. 

Game 3: Pitt 8, Duke 5

Pitt faced a three-run deficit after two innings of play in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader, but used a five-run fifth inning to take the lead for good and secure a sweep of the Blue Devils. 

The outset looked grim for the Panthers, as Matt Wotherspoon continued to struggle while Duke starter Michael Matuella struck out five Panthers in the game’s first two innings. Wotherspoon lasted just 3 2/3 and gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks.  

Fortunately for the Panthers, Matuella was pulled from the game after two innings, and Pitt’s offense went to work against Duke reliever Dillon Haviland. The Panthers scored two runs in the third to cut Duke’s deficit to one run, but Haviland couldn’t get an out in the fifth and blew a 4-2 Duke lead after the Blue Devils scored one in the fourth. 

The first four hitters of the inning reached base, and the Panthers continued to rap out run-scoring base hits throughout the frame to overcome their deficit and take a 7-4 lead. 

Duke scored a run in the next frame, but Pitt countered with one more and the final margin of 8-5 held for the game’s final three innings.