PITTSBURGH – The Panthers offense scored their second-most runs in a game this season in Wednesday’s 17-1 win over St. Bonaventure. Pitt’s five home runs tied a single-game high for this season.
The Panthers hit back-to-back-to-back home runs today for the first time since joining the ACC, it was their second time this season hitting three home runs in one inning.
Pitt’s 16-run victory was their largest margin of victory since thrashing Lipscomb 16-0 in February of 2022.
Josh Spiegel had a career day at the plate going 4-4 with a home run, a double and career-high 5 RBI. Luke Cantwell went 2-2 with two home runs and a walk, hitting two home runs in the same game for the second time this year. Ryan Zuckerman finished the day 2-3 with a solo home run and four RBI which tied a career high for the freshman. Jake Kendro’s only hit today was a solo shot to left-center, he finished 1-1 with two RBI and two walks, homering in two of Pitt’s last three games.
Pitt pitching staff was excellent tonight, allowing just one run over seven innings. Aidan Coleman Pitt gave another quality start, striking out six batters over four scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. Kyle Demi picked up his first career win as he tossed a scoreless frame in the fifth inning. Kayden Faulcon closed things out in the seventh as he struck out two of the four batters he faced.
Luke Cantwell led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo blast off the batter’s eye and Pitt led 1-0 after one.
The Panther offense exploded for nine runs on just four hits at the bottom of the second inning as Pitt would hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. despues de Tyler Bischke drew a leadoff walk, Josh Spiegel launched his third home run of the year to left. Both Jake Kendro and Ryan Zuckerman followed suit and hit solo blasts in the preceding at-bats to collect Pitt’s first back-to-back home run effort since joining the ACC in 2014. Luke Cantwell and Dom Popa each walked and Melendez singled through the left side to load the bases with two outs. The Panthers would score five more runs on three walks and two hit-by-pitches to plate nine runs in the bottom of the second inning. Bischke walked, Spiegel was hit by a pitch, Kendro walked, Zuckerman walked and Cantwell was hit by a pitch, all with the bases loaded, as the Panthers scored their most runs in a single inning this season. Pitt led 10-0 after two.
Dom Popa and Tyler Bischke each singled in the bottom of the third inning to put runners at first and second with two outs. Josh Spiegel lined an RBI single through the left side that drove in Popa from second and Pitt led 11-0 after three innings.
For the second time today, Luke Cantwell led off an inning with a solo shot to center as he laced another ball off the batter’s eye at the bottom of the fourth. It was Cantwell’s second two-homer game of the season and first since their series finale against Maine on opening weekend.
Pitt’s offense tackled on five more in the bottom of the fifth inning. Dom Popa led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a Keeton Burroughs opposite field single to right. Josh Spiegel lined an RBI double into the gap that scored Popa and drove in Spiegel’s fifth run of the game, a career high. despues de Anthony LaSala walks, the bases were loaded for Ryan Zuckerman who bounced a two-run single through the left side that scored Spiegel and Burroughs. With two outs, Justin Fogel cleared the bases and drove in Zuckerman and LaSala on their single to right. The Panthers led 17-0 after five innings.
The Bonnies would get one run on two hits in the top of the sixth inning as the Panthers would win 17-1 in just seven innings.
