Pitt Baseball Upsets No. 12 WVU in Intense Backyard Brawl

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers faced numerous deficits against No. 12 West Virginia in the baseball edition of the Backyard Brawl, but would prevail, 10-9, at Charles L. Cost Field in a thriller.

Pitt (25-21) makes it five straight wins, all at home, as they shutout Akron, 11-0 on April 30, then swept Virginia Tech over the weekend.

It is the first win for the Panthers over the Mountaineers (39-8) since March 30, 2022, ending an eight-game losing streak in the Backyard Brawl. They also split the season series As the Mountaineers secured a victory of 11-1 in eight innings on April 2 in Morgantown.

West Virginia got after Pitt redshirt sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Drew Lafferty in the top of the first inning.

The Mountaineers' veteran infield player, Kyle West, took a walk, advancing to first base. Following him, the experienced outfielder Jace Rinehart hit a double, which pushed West to third base with only one opponent retired at bat.

A WVU junior utility player named Sam White got a single, while Junior Catcher Logan Sauve reached first base due to a fielder's choice. As a result of this play, both West and Rinehart managed to score.

White and Sauve then stole second base and third base and senior infielder Brodie Kresser grounded out, scoring White, as the road team took a 3-0 lead.

West would add onto the Mountaineers lead in the top of the second inning, hitting a solo home run off of Lafferty to make it 4-0.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Panthers filled up the bases when junior infielder Jake Kendro reached first on a hit-by-pitch, redshirt sophomore outfielder Logan Duffy secured a walk, and junior infielder Caden Dulin got a single.

Pitt senior infielder Luke Cantwell walked, scoring Kendro, then sophomore infielder Ryan Zuckerman singled, scoring both Duffy and Dullin, as the home team trimmed the deficit to 4-3. Pitt's next three batters got out, as WVU held onto a slim lead.

West came through for the Mountaineers again in the top of the sixth inning, with a bases loaded single, scoring a run, while White hit a sacrifice fly on a ball in foul territory, increasing the road team's advantage to 6-3.

Pitt junior outfielder AJ Nessler doubled to leadoff the bottom of the sixth inning and then catcher Sebastian Pisacreta hit a two-run home run, cutting the deficit back to 6-5.

WVU added onto their lead in the top of the eighth inning, as Rinehart hit a two-run single, and then senior first baseman Grant Hussey laid down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the ninth inning, as they led 9-5.

Cantwell started the bottom of the ninth after West Virginia University's junior right-handed pitcher, Carson Estridge, hit him with a pitch and subsequently walked Zuckerman.

Mountaineers right-handed pitcher Benjamin Hudson came in and then Panthers senior catcher Jayden Melendez hit a three-run home run, cutting the Mountaineers' lead to 9-8 with no outs.

Pitt then loaded the bases, as Nesler and Pisacreta hit back-to-back singles and freshman outfielder Julian Irizarry walked, as WVU made two more pitching changes.

Panthers' young infielder Keaton Burroughs evened the score with a fielder's choice; during this play, Irizarry was tagged out at second base, though Nesler managed to cross home plate.

Pitt junior infielder Gavin Miller would then hit a ground ball, that the WVU right fielder Armani Guzman failed to gather, allowing Pisacreta to score on a walk-off, as the home team won 10-9.

Pitt will head out on the road this weekend for a big series vs. Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. from May 9-11.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/pittsburgh as Pitt Baseball Upsets No. 12 WVU in Rivalry Showdown .