OUR STATE(S): Panthers Dominating Penn State, West Virginia in 2024-25

OUR STATE(S): Panthers Dominating Penn State, West Virginia in 2024-25

5/16/2025 12:46:00 PM | General

PITTSBURGH – Pitt Athletics posted unparalleled success against its two biggest rivals as the Panthers combined for a 15-3 record against Penn State and West Virginia in 2024-25.

On the men's side, Pitt went 8-2 overall against the Nittany Lions and Mountaineers. The Panthers had a 5-1 record against West Virginia that included wins in both football and men's basketball, as well as a dramatic walk-off win at Charles L. Cost field in baseball.

Pitt women's programs faired equally well with a 7-1 record against the two rival schools. The Panthers posted a 4-0 mark against Penn State that included wins by the volleyball, softball, women's lacrosse, and women's swimming and diving teams.

Let's take a look back at each of those Pitt victories.

BASEBALL

Pitt 15, Penn State 1 | May 13, 2025

Pitt earned a season sweep of Penn State in run-rule fashion as they bested the Nittany Lions, 15-1, in just seven innings at PNC Park.
Drew Lafferty shined on the mound at PNC Park throwing a complete game and allowed just one run while striking out six over seven innings.
Eight different Panthers recorded a hit while seven drove in at least one run. Sebastian Pisacreta continued to stay hot, going 3-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a double and Caden Dulin notched a three-hit day as well, driving in a pair of runs with a double while also going 3-4.
Ryan Zuckerman (2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) and David Pedanou (2-4, 2 R) collected multiple hits with Pedanou swiped his 20th bag of the season, making him now 20-20 on the season. His 20 stolen bases are the most in a season by a Panther since 2008.
Lorenzo Carrier launched his sixth home run of the year into the seats in right center in the sixth inning.
Pitt scattered all 15 of their runs over just three innings on Tuesday. They had three five-run innings en route to their seven-inning victory.
In Pitt's two games vs. Penn State this season, the Panthers outscored the Nittany Lions 24-3. In the last three games of the series, they have outscored Penn State 34-3. It was Pitt's first season sweep of Penn State since the 2017 season.

Pitt 10, West Virginia 9 | May 6, 2025

Pitt scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to walk off No. 12 West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, 10-9. After West Virginia brought in their right fielder as a fifth infielder, Gavin Miller peppered one right to him on the first pitch. Anthony LaSala dashed home from third after the ball was not fielded cleanly and Pitt walked it off for a second-consecutive game.
Luke Cantwell started the rally with a leadoff hit-by-pitch. Ryan Zuckerman then worked a walk which put runners on first and second. With no one out, Jayden Melendez launched a towering three-run home run to cut the deficit to just one in the ninth. Singles from AJ Nessler and Sebastian Pisacreta, and a hit-by-pitch to Julian Irizarry, loaded the bases with no outs still recorded.
Keeton Burroughs grounded into an RBI fielder's choice that scored Nessler from third to knot the game at nine and set up the dramatic finish.

Pitt 9, Penn State 2 | March 25, 2025

Pitt powered past Penn State as the Panthers had eight of out nine starters recorded a hit, three of which had two, en route to a 9-2 road win and Pitt's first win at Penn State since 2019.
Sophomores Ryan Zuckerman and Aidan Coleman led the Panthers as Zuckerman had his second five-RBI game this season going 2-3 with a home run and a double, while Coleman threw five shutout innings in relief and earned his second win of the year. He struck out five and allowed just one hit.
Sebastian Pisacreta hit his fourth home run this season as he went 2-4 with a double and two RBIs. Caden Dulin went 2-4 as well and drove in a run on an RBI double in the seventh inning. Logan Duffy drove in his first run of the year on an RBI single in the second inning.

SOFTBALL

Pitt 16, Penn State 8 | April 15, 2025

The Panthers used a season-high five home runs en route to a 16-8 run-rule victory over Penn State at Beard Field.
Pitt had three players record multi-hit efforts as Tieley Vaughn led the Panthers' offense by going 2-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored.
The Panthers had five different players record a home run as Vaughn, Kaitlyn Brannstrom, KK Esparza, Camryn Murphy and Shelby Frazier all went yard in the win.
Pitt tallied a season-high 16 runs on 11 hits to record their first win over the Nittany Lions since 2019.

GYMNASTICS

Pitt 195.925, West Virginia 195.850 | March 16, 2025

Pitt picked up its second win over the season against West Virginia at the Ohio State quad meet. The Panthers posted a 49.175 on vault and bars, recorded multiple season highs as well as a career-high from Jaime Pratt on vault propelled Pitt to an excellent afternoon.
The Panthers were dominant on vault throughout the whole rotation as they recorded a season-high 49.175. Jah'liyah Bedminster came up big with a season-high 9.900, and Jaime Pratt impressed with a career-high 9.850. Kennedy Duke matched that to tie her season high, and Elizabeth Cesarone notched a 9.825.
Pitt closed out the quad meet with a 49.175 on bars as five Panthers recorded at least a 9.800. Pratt and Bedminster tied their season highs with a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively.

Pitt 196.575, West Virginia 196.275 | March 9, 2025

Pitt recorded the second highest team score in program history in the win over West Virginia as six Panthers recorded personal bests, and Pitt notched season highs in vault, beam and floor.
The Panthers set a new season-high 49.075 on vault as five Panthers registered at least a 9.800.
Kennedy Duke gave the Panthers momentum on bars, earning a career-high 9.850, while Julie Røttum Madsø recorded a career high of her own with a 9.825.
Darbi Simcox posted a career high and a Pitt season best with a 9.925 to highlight the beam rotation.
For the first time on the season two Panthers recorded 9.900s on the same event, as Meika Lee and Jaime Pratt teamed up to do so on floor.

LACROSSE

Pitt 12, Penn State 10 | February 18, 2025

The Panthers used a dominant first quarter to propel themselves to a 12-10 intrastate rivalry win over Penn State in the Pitt Sports Dome. Following an opening goal by the Nittany Lions in the first three minutes of action Pitt went on a 11-0 scoring run to put a stranglehold on the game and take the 11-1 lead.
Sydney Naylor led the Panthers with four goals and two assists, while Jenna Hendrickson delivered three goals in the win.
The win over Penn State was the Panthers first since the program began in 2022.

WRESTLING

Pitt 25, West Virginia 17 | January 1, 2025

The Backyard Brawl proved to be just that as the 18th-ranked Panthers rallied to win the final four matches and defeat No. 22 West Virginia, 25-17, at the WVU Coliseum.
The Panthers scored 16 points over the final four matches en route to their victory after trailing the Mountaineers 17-9 after the first six bouts.
Luca Augustine (174) and Reece Heller (184) scored wins over ranked opponents to start the late rally, while Mac Stout carded a major decision victory to give the Panthers a 19-17 lead heading into the final match. Dayton Pitzer sealed the win with a fall at the 5:33 mark for the Panthers.

SWIMMING & DIVING

Men's – Pitt 227, West Virginia 70 | January 10-11, 2025
Women's – Pitt 240, West Virginia 57 | January 10-11, 2025

Pitt earned a decisive wins over West Virginia at Trees Pool with the men defeating the Mountaineers, 227-70, and the women topping the Backyard Brawl rivals, 240-57.
The Panthers won 15 individual events and four relay events on Saturday, totaling nineteen victories in Pitt's penultimate home meet. Pitt would also go on to sweep all four diving events, finishing with a total of 23 event wins on the weekend.
Senior Cameron Cash earned a double win as he took first in both the men's platform and 3m dives. Senior captain Jess Vega earned her first win of the season in the women's platform while Rachel Dickerson won the women's 3m.
Pitt won all four relays as the men and women both finished first in the 200 Medley and 200 Free Relays.
Max Matteazzi led all Panthers with three individual victories on the day, placing first in the Men's 1000 Freestyle (9:11.08), 200 Breaststroke (1:57.93) and 200 IM (145.60).
Avery Kudlac continued to shine, winning two individual events and one of the women's relays. Kudlac won the Women's 200 Butterfly (1:59.44) and the 100 Free (49.40). Sydney Gring would win two individual events of her own in the Women's 100 Backstroke (52.39) and 200 IM (1:59.02).
Senior Marcin Goraj won the Men's 200 Free (1:36.07) and 200 Back (1:45.92) in the second-to-last home meet of his career. The freshman Julian Koch took first in two events, winning both the Men's 50 Free (19.96) and the 100 Butterfly (47.58), while helping the men take both relays.
Sophie Yendell took first two individual events in addition to both relays. The senior from Tamworth, England won the Women's 50 Freestyle (22.54) and 100 Butterfly (53.51), events she holds the school records in. Claire Jansen joined her in taking both of the women's relays, while also claiming first in the Women's 200 Back (1:59.88).
Guy Frimis, Eli Hobson and Cecilia Viberg all earned victories as well. Frimis took first in the Men's 100 Free (44.48), Viberg took first in Women's 100 Breaststroke (1:01.80) and Hobson placed first in the Men's 100 Breaststroke (53.45).

WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

Pitt 248, Penn State 105 | October 25-26, 2024

The Panthers dominated and won 17 of their 19 events on the weekend as they rolled passed the Nittany Lions. The Pitt women have now won two consecutive meets against Penn State, doing so for the first time since 1984-85 and 1985-86.
Pitt swept Penn State in both diving events, taking first place in all four. Mariana Osorio Mendoza took first in the women's 1m and 3m while freshman Noah Bernard placed first in the men's 1m and 3m in the first meet of his career.
Women's swimmers Sydney Gring, Claire Jansen and Avery Kudlac saw their names riddled throughout the leaderboard all weekend. Gring brought home two first place, one second place and one third place finish with three first place finishes. Jansen finished first in six events on the weekend and third in just one, placing in all seven events she competed in. Kudlac would bring home seven first place victories, earning four as a part of the Panthers' relay teams.
Pitt saw a variety of winners as seven different Panther women earned first place victories this weekend.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Pitt 86, West Virginia 62 | November 15, 2024

Pitt charged out to an early lead and never looked back en route to a dominating 86-62 win over West Virginia in the 191st edition of the Backyard Brawl Friday, Nov. 15 at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers never trailed in the contest, held a double-figure lead for the final 30:35 of game action, and led by as much as 31 points on the night in front of a raucous home crowd.
Damian Dunn scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-7 effort from three-point range, to lead four double-figure scorers for the Panthers. Ishmael Leggett added 15 points and Cameron Corhen posted 14 points and five rebounds as Pitt earned its second consecutive win over West Virginia.

VOLLEYBALL

Pitt 3, Penn State 0 | September 18, 2025

The No. 1 Pitt volleyball team handed in-state rival Penn State its first loss of the season in three sets in front of a sold-out Petersen Events Center. The Panthers were led by Torrey Stafford who notched 17 kills and eight digs and Rachel Fairbanks, recording 42 assists in the sweep.
The 11,800 fans in attendance broke the previous record of 8,865, set against Louisville in the Petersen Events Center last November.
The three-set sweep extended the Panthers wins streak to 21 straight sets to open the season.

FOOTBALL

Pitt 38, West Virginia 34 | September 14, 2024

Eli Holstein was near perfect down the stretch as Pittsburgh rallied past West Virginia 38-34 in the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl. Derrick Davis scored on a 1-yard dive with 32 seconds remaining to give the Panthers their first 3-0 start since 2022.
The Panthers (3-0) trailed by 10 with less than 5 minutes to go before Holstein, a redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama, led a stirring comeback that added another memorable chapter in a rivalry that dates to 1895. He found Daejon Reynolds with a 40-yard heave to the end zone with 3:06 remaining to bring Pitt within a field goal. The Panthers got the ball back with 1:59 left and Holstein deftly guided Pitt 77 yards, though Davis' go-ahead score
Holstein finished the day with 301-yard passing and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 59 more. Desmond Reid had a pair of touchdown receptions, while Kyle Louis led the defense with 13 tackles, one interception and a quarterback hurry.

MSOC v PSU

MEN'S SOCCER

Pitt 2, Penn State 1 | August 30, 2024

Facing a 1-0 halftime deficit, the No. 3-ranked Pitt men's soccer team scored twice in a six-minute span midway through the second half to top in-state rival Penn State, 2-1, at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa.
In the 60th minute, sophomore forward Albert Thorsen was taken down in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for Pitt with senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa stepping to the spot, nailing his 10th-career goal.
At the 65:06 mark, freshman forward Lasse Dahl sent a perfect cross into the box, connecting with junior defender Casper Svendby – who headed home his first goal of the year, giving Pitt a 2-1 advantage.
The victory marked the 350th-career win for head coach Jay Vidovich as the Panthers' posted their first 3-0 start since the 2020-21 campaign.