PITTSBURGH – Despite getting a late start, the University of Pittsburgh baseball team captured a 9-1 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore Tuesday evening at Charles L. Cost Field.
(Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics)
Making just his fourth collegiate start, and first since the opening weeks of the season, Collin Liberatore led the Panther defense to a stellar performance.
Pitt struck first in the third, scoring a run off of a sacrifice fly by David Yanni. Caleb Parry started off the inning with a single, moving to third on a single by Leblanc before Yanni brought him home.
In the fourth the Panthers broke things open, plating four runs off of six hits. Ronnie Sherman kicked off the inning with an infield single as a single from Frank Maldonado, who advanced to second on the throw, would put a pair in scoring position. A sacrifice fly from Aaron Schnurbusch allowed Sherman to score before Maldonado came across on a wild pitch.
With the bases cleared, Parry doubled to right field and was brought home by a single off the bat of Jacob Wright. After stealing second, Wright would score on a Leblanc single to give Pitt a 5-0 advantage.
Liberatore was solid for the Panthers, tossing five scoreless frames, surrendering just three hits in those first five innings. Liberatore allowed his first run of the game in the sixth following a single, walk and hit by pitch to load the bases. A single by Jamison Trower would allow a runner to score to break up Liberatore’s scoreless streak.
It was an effective outing for Liberatore as the freshman went 6.0 innings, allowing just four hits, one earned run and a walk and fanning six batters.
The Panthers added another four in the eighth to extend their lead to eight. Maldonado would drop a bunt single to start the inning, moving to second on a walk ushered to Schnurbusch. Parry would send a bases-clearing double to left center to score the duo.
Wright would walk in the next at bat to put runners on first and second and force a pitching change by the Hawks. A walk ushered to Leblanc, paired with a throwing error on the Maryland Eastern Shore catcher would allow Parry to score. Pitt added another on a sacrifice fly by Yarnall, extending its lead to 9-1.
Jextin Pugh would come on to toss three scoreless frames to end the contest and earn his first save as a Panther. The junior went 3.0 innings, allowing two hits, zero earned runs, zero walks and striking out one.
Offensively, Parry led the charge, going 3-of-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Maldonado was 2-of-4 with two runs scored, while Leblanc went 2-of-4 with an RBI and a walk. With the win, Pitt improves to 22-17-0.
The Panthers will return to the diamond tomorrow, welcoming the Hawks back to Charles L. Cost Field for the finale of the two-game series. First pitch has been pushed back to noon.
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