WVU (27-10, 12-6 Big 12) did not show up at the ballpark for its game against Pitt. Pitt embarrassed them, 23-1, in front of a crowd in Morgantown. The Backyard Brawl was not much of a brawl and was more of a rout. The game got out of hand in the second inning, and the Panthers never looked back. WVU only managed two hits and had the same number of errors. The Mountaineers have to regroup before traveling to Cincinnati for a three-game series this weekend. Read more: Pitt routs WVU in the Backyard Brawl, 23-1.
First inning
Bryson Thacker drew the midweek start against the rival, the Pitt Panthers. He got two quick outs with pop-outs, but it started going poorly after that. He allowed a 380-foot home run to Lorenzo Carrier. It was Carrier’s 15th home run of the season, so it is not surprising. He got out of the inning without allowing another run.
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David Leslie started on the bump for the Panthers and executed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first. Paul Schoenfeld lined out to center field, Gavin Kelly grounded out, and Sean Smith struck out.
Second inning
The game went south quickly for Thacker in the second inning. He allowed another home run to Sebastian Pisacreta. Pittsburgh ranked tied for eighth in home runs this season, so it is no surprise they hit a few long balls. Thacker walked and hit another batter before allowing a home run to AJ Nessler. That gave Pitt a 5-0 lead and ended Thacker’s outing.
Bryant Yoak replaced Thacker, but he did not fare well, either. He got the first batter he faced to ground out for the second out of the inning, but could not find the third. He allowed a single to Carrier and walked two more batters to load the bases. That forced WVU to change pitchers, bringing in David Hagen.
Hagen walked in a run and allowed two runs on a wild pitch. Kai Wagner scored from third on the wild pitch, and Trey Fenderson scored from second due to a throwing error by catcher Matthew Graveline. Pitt led 8-0 after the top of the second inning.
Matt Ineich led off with a single in the bottom of the second inning, which was WVU’s first hit of the game. Leslie got two quick outs, only allowing Ineich to reach second base before his night was over. Chase Kriebel replaced him with an 8-0 lead. Kriebel walked two batters to load the bases, but struck out Brock Wills to get out of the jam.
Third inning
The second inning was awful, and the third inning was worse for WVU. Unforced errors and mistakes were the downfall for the Mountaineers. Hagen walked the lead-off batter and allowed a single to Julia Irizarry. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but it did not matter thanks to a home run from Caden Dulin. Hagen walked two more batters after the home run, which ended his night.
JT Huether replaced Hagen and got the second out of the inning. The Panthers rallied again with two outs, however, largely thanks to Huether. He walked Joey Baran to load the bases. He then hit two consecutive batters and walked another to bring three runs across the plate for Pitt. That made the score 14-0. Nessler added two more runs with a single to left center to make the score 16-0.
Sam Bryan replaced Kriebel at the bottom of the third inning for Pitt. He walked two batters after getting one out, but secured a double play ground ball to end the inning.
Fourth and fifth innings
Ben McDougal came out for the fourth inning in a 16-0 game. He walked the first batter, but struck out the next. Fenderson reached on a fielder’s choice as WVU got the lead runner. The inning could have ended, but Graveline dropped a foul ball behind home plate. McDougal walked Baran to put two men on base for Pisacreta. He hit a home run to left field to make it 19-0.
Bryan struck out Tyrus Hall to start the bottom of the fifth inning and hit Brodie Kresser with a pitch. That ended his night. Mikey Gray replaced him, and WVU finally did something at the plate. Graveline singled, and Armani Guzman advanced to third base. He scored on a wild pitch to finally put the Mountaineers on the board. Gray finished the inning without another run crossing home, taking a 19-1 lead into the fifth inning.
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WVU’s coaching staff saw enough of the starters and made five substitutions. They also changed pitchers as Weston Smith went to the rubber. He allowed a lead-off single and walked a batter with one out. He got Carrier to line out for the second out, but loaded the bases by hitting Wagner with a pitch. Fenderson made him pay with a double down the left field line, which brought home all the baserunners. Pitt ended the inning with a 22-1 lead.
Joey Cianciminio replaced Gray on the mound to face an almost new WVU lineup. He got Matthew Robaugh to ground out for the first out. Ryan Maggy pinch-hit for Smith and struck out swinging. Weston Mazey struck out looking to end the inning.
Sixth and seventh innings
The Panthers also started making substitutions at the top of the sixth inning, assuming they had only two more innings. The 10-run rule goes into effect after the completion of seven innings. David Perez replaced Smith on the mound. He walked and allowed a single to start his night. Mason Ligenza smashed a pinch-hit double to right-center, which brought one run home. Perez struck out two batters and got the third out on a ground ball to himself to end the inning.
Pitt made several position changes and substitutions at the bottom of the sixth. Freddy Beruvides Jr. replaced Ciancimino on the mound and got a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. Fortunately for the fans still in attendance, the seventh inning went quickly.
Joshua Surigao came out for WVU and got a 1-2-3 inning with the help of a double play. Michael Savarese came out to pitch for Pitt in the bottom of the seventh. He struck out Graveline and Wills to start the inning. Erdos Creed grounded out for the final out of the game. Pitt won decisively, 23-1, ending the game after the seventh inning due to the 10-run rule.
Top performers
- S. Pisacreta (PITT): 2-for-4, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR, BB, K
- A. Nessler (PITT): 2-for-5, R, 5 RBI, HR
- L. Carrier (PITT): 2-for-3, 3 R, RBI, HR, 2 BB
What’s next?
The Mountaineers travel to Cincinnati for a Big 12 series this weekend. The first game is at UC Baseball Stadium on Friday, April 24, at 6 p.m. ET. The following two games are on Saturday and Sunday at 3 and 1 p.m. ET, respectively.
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