South Bend, Ind.—Pitt Baseball opened their final road series of the 2022 regular season on Friday, May 13, losing 8-3 to No. 8 Notre Dame. The loss, Pitt’s third in a row, comes in the midst of a 5-8 stretch as injuries have caused the Panthers College World Series hopes to dwindle.
Panthers ace Matt Gilbertson had his worst start of the season, giving up six earned runs in six innings of work. His defense didn’t do him any favors, as the Panthers committed five errors, a season high.
Four Panthers errors helped Notre Dame build a 5-0 lead in the first inning: three on scoring plays as the Irish took extra bases, and a fourth that allowed the rally to continue on what should’ve been a routine out by shortstop Brock Franks.
The Irish stretched their lead to 7-0 in the fourth inning as right fielder Brooks Coetzee pulled a two-run homer to left.
Notre Dame left-hander John Michael Bertrand pitched seven innings, punching out nine Panthers batters.
He gave up a pair of runs in the sixth inning courtesy of an RBI single by second baseman Jeffrey Wehler, and an RBI double by catcher Tatem Levins, but he recovered to pitch a scoreless seventh.
Levins hit a one-out triple against Irish reliever Alex Rao in the eighth. Left fielder Ron Washington Jr. drove him in with a single, but Notre Dame kept the lead at five as catcher David LaManna scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame.
Senior reliever Aidan Tyrell allowed two baserunners in the top of the ninth, but neither scored as the Irish claimed game one.
The loss moves the Panthers to 26-21 on the season, and 12-12 in the ACC. Their series with the Irish continues at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, with Logan Evans (3-6, 7.44 ERA) projected to start against Notre Dame right-hander Austin Temple (3-1, 3.68 ERA).
