The Pittsburgh Panthers lost to No. 5 Louisville, 14-6, in the second half of their doubleheader on Saturday, April 2.
Louisville’s offense stayed hot after waking up in the top of the ninth inning in the first game of the day.
Logan Evans started for the Panthers, and gave up 10 runs (eight earned) in 3.2 innings of work. Wind gusts tormented the Panthers, pushing several fly balls just out of the reach of defenders.
Cardinals starter Jared Poland, who entered the game with a 2.08 ERA, pitched six innings and gave up three runs, all by way of the long ball.
The Cardinals put runners on second and third with one out in the first, and both came around to score on an RBI single, giving Louisville a 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Louisville left fielder Cameron Masterman hit a towering solo home run over the left field scoreboard. The Cardinals scored three more runs in a two-out rally—aided by two Panthers errors—making it 6-0.
The Panthers’ first hit off Poland came in the bottom of the frame in the form of a two-run homer off the bat of Kyle Hess.
Louisville responded with four more runs in the top of the fourth, letting the air out of a potential Panthers comeback.
Panthers right fielder CJ Funk hit his second home run of the season in the fifth to make it 10-3.
Louisville catcher Dalton Rushing hit a two-run home run the opposite way in the eighth inning, which Ron Washington Jr. followed up with an RBI single.
Both teams emptied their benches using pinch hitters in the ninth, and both loaded the bases. Louisville scored two on an infield single and a walk, while Panthers pinch hitter Johnny Long earned two RBI with a single of his own.
The Panthers move to 14-11 on the season, and 4-6 in the ACC. They’ll play the rubber match of their series against the Cardinals starting at 1pm on Sunday, April 3, with Billy Corcoran projected to start.
That.
Was.
Ugly.
H2P