The arrival of another weekend series opener meant another brilliant start for Pitt’s Mitch Myers. The junior right-hander earned his second win of the season after dealing nine innings of one-run baseball in Saturday’s series opener vs. Virginia. The Panthers (10-4 overall , 7-3 ACC) rode Myer’s efficient outing to a narrow 2-1 win over Virginia (8-9 overall, 2-8 ACC) on Saturday afternoon.
The game moved quickly, lasting only two hours and 43 minutes. Myers pitched to contact, moving efficiently through the Cavaliers lineup. He threw just 105 pitches in the complete-game start.
The Cavaliers opened scoring in the bottom of the third. A misplayed ball from sophomore shortstop Brock Franks allowed senior first baseman Devin Ortiz to reach safely. Ortiz then successfully stole second after Franks dropped the throw down.
Ortiz advanced to third on a fielder’s choice then scored on a sacrifice fly from junior shortstop Nic Kent. But that was all the offense Myers would allow the Cavaliers to muster
Myers, never overpowering but always sharp with his execution, won with precision. He located expertly, inducing easy ground balls and flyouts for his defense. None of the three hits he scattered went for extra bases and he improved on his already stellar strikeout to walk ratio by fanning five and walking one. 67 of his 105 pitches were for strikes.
Virginia’s time with the lead was brief. After they got on the board in the bottom half of the third inning, sixth-year senior David Yanni belted a solo home run — the seventh hit in his last 16 at-bats — that tied the game in the top of the fourth.
Two frames later, junior first baseman Bryce Hulett knocked in the go-ahead run with a clutch hit. A single off of the bat of junior left fielder Ron Washington Jr. started the rally. Junior third baseman Sam Frontiono walked, then moved Washington to second.
Hulett came to the plate with two down and two on. He slapped a single into right field and Washington scored from second standing up. His run-scoring hit chased UVA starter Andrew Abbott from the game and proved to be all the offense Pitt needed to close out the win.
After North Carolina beat Boston College on Friday evening, the Panthers had briefly dipped into second place in the ACC Coastal Division, but Saturday’s win elevated them back into a tie with the Tar Heels.
Pitt and the Cavaliers will continue their slightly delayed series on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network Extra.
Another great game by Myers. He pitched efficiently and was crisp. Pitt looked good again but stranded some runners. They can turn this into a really great season with a series win this weekend.