Pitt Splits Saturday’s Doubleheader at Virginia

Saturday, April 12

Charlottesville, VA

12 PM

Pitt

18-15, 4-9

Virginia

19-13, 8-8

Pittsburgh

Virginia

Pitt Splits Saturday’s Doubleheader at Virginia

4/12/2025 8:41:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score

Pitt Splits Saturday's Doubleheader at Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Panthers split Saturday's doubleheader against the Cavaliers in Charlotteville this afternoon. Pitt took game two to even the series after falling in game one on a walk-off.

Down a run, and down to their final strike in game one, the Panthers tied the game in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI single by Gavin Miller. It was the fifth time this season that Pitt had come back to tie or take the lead in a game in the eighth inning or later. The Panthers would lose game one, 7-5, as the Cavaliers hit a wall-scraping walk-off home run in the bottom half of the inning.

Pitt responded and evened the series by taking the back end of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, 8-7. Patrick Gardner allowed just one earned run over six innings and won his third game of the year. Caden Dulin (2-3, 3 RBI, 2B), Ryan Zuckerman (2-4, 2B), David Pedanou (2-5) and Gavin Miller (2-4, RBI, 2B) all recorded multiple hits in game two. Zuckerman combined for four hits in the day, going 2-4 with a run scored in game one.

Game One

The Panthers scored first with two runs on the top of the fourth inning on a two-run home run to right center by AJ Nessler. Luke Cantwell led off the inning with his 32^nd walk of the year before Nessler launched his third long ball of the season off the scoreboard.

Virginia responded with five runs in the bottom half of the inning and led 5-2 after four.

Pitt would show zero quit as they back back in the later innings to tie the game in the ninth.

Aidan Coleman came out of the bullpen in the fifth inning for the Panthers and kept them in the game, firing four shutout innings in relief. It's the second time he's thrown at least four scoreless innings in a relief appearance this season.

Ryan Zuckerman and David Pedanou strung together a pair of singles to start the top of the seventh inning. In a pinch-hitting effort, freshman Julian Irizarry drove in the first run of his career on a single to left that scored Zuckerman. Pedanou scored from second on an errant back pick attempt at first, bringing the Panthers within one, trailing 5-4 after seven.

Pinch-hitting with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Jayden Melendez reached on an error to extend game one. Pinch-running for Melendez at first, Keeton Burroughs advanced to second on a passed ball. With a Burroughs now in scoring position, and the Panthers down to their final strike, Gavin Miller laced a game-tying single to left field to knot the game at five apiece. It was the fifth time this season that Pitt had come back to tie/take the lead in a game in the eighth inning or later.

The Cavaliers hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth and won game one.

Game Two

Just like they did earlier in the day, Pitt got on the board first via a two-run home run. After not starting in game one, Jayden Melendez lifted a towering two-run shot in his first at-bat in game two. The Panthers led 2-0 through two.

After Virginia got a run back in the bottom of the third inning, Pitt responded with four runs of their own in the top of the fourth.

The Cavaliers could have scored more in the third inning if it wasn't for a perfectly executed 9-3-2 relay by Pedanou, Cantwell and Melendez to cut down the tying run at the plate and end the inning.

Ryan Zuckerman led off the fourth with a double down the right field line and was followed by a Jayden Melendez walk. Gavin Miller roped a double down the third base line that scored Zuckerman and moved Melendez up to third. After a Tarpley walk to load the bases, Luke Cantwell drove in a run on an RBI ground out to first. Pitt added two more on a Caden Dulin two-RBI double to right center. Pitt led 6-1 through the first four innings.

Dulin drove in his third run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning, extending Pitt's lead to six.

Virginia and Pitt exchanged runs over the next two frames. The Cavaliers got a run back in the sixth and the Panthers immediately responded with a run in the top of the seventh as Jayden Melendez scored on a balk. Pitt 8-2 after seven innings.

The Cavaliers scored five runs over the eighth and ninth innings the cut the Panthers lead to just one. With two outs in the ninth, Daniel McAuliff came out of the bullpen and needed just one pitch to earn his third save of the year as Pitt evened the series.

Up Next

First pitch for Sunday's rubber match is scheduled for 1 PM. RHP Drew Lafferty will make his ninth start of the season.