Dierdorf’s Late Homer Pushes Pitt Past No. 10 Virginia

Friday, April 24

Pittsburgh, PA

6 PM

Pitt

26-14, 8-11

Virginia

29-14, 12-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Virginia	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	0	0	5	12	2
Pitt	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	3	X	7	8	0

Dierdorf’s Late Homer Pushes Pitt Past No. 10 Virginia

4/24/2026 10:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PITTSBURGH – The Pitt Panthers (26-14, 8-11 ACC) scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take game one from No. 10 Virginia (29-14, 12-10 ACC), 7-5, on Friday night at Charles L. Cost Field.

In a back-and-forth game, Pitt found themselves down a run in the eighth inning. An RBI double and a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth paved the way to a series-opening win for the Panthers.

Friday marked Pitt's third win this season over a ranked team, and second in as many games. Each of the Panthers' win this week have been over top-15 teams. Pitt topped No. 12 West Virginia, 23-1, in Morgantown on Tuesday.

Despite a slow start at the plate, Carter Dierdorf became the hero on Friday night. With two outs in a tie game, he slugged the game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lorenzo Carrie hit his team-leading 16^th home run of the season tonight. Coming into the weekend, he ranked second in all of the ACC in home runs.

Joey Baran drove in a pair of runs on a pair of hits in the win, going 2-for-4 with two RBI including a game-tying double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Sebastian Pisacreta put the Panthers up early with a two-run home run in the second.

Antonio Doganiero gave the Panthers a solid start on Friday. Striking out four over his four innings while allowing just two runs. Chase Kriebel picked up his second win in as many games, picking up a big strikeout to escape a jam in the eighth. Eddie Smink fired a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his third save of the season.

The Panthers and Cavaliers exchanged runs in the second inning. After Virginia drove in a run on an RBI single, Sebastian Pisacreta responded with a opposite field two-run shot to give Pitt a 2-1 lead through two innings. Virginia got a run back in the top of the third inning to knot the game at two runs apiece after three.

With the Cavaliers threatening in the top of the fourth inning, Caden Dulin made a backhanded stop and nabbed the runner at home to save a run and keep the game tied through four.

Virginia scored a run in each of the next two innings to take a 4-2 lead in the sixth. With two runners on and two out in the sixth inning, AJ Nessler made in a leaping grab at the centerfield wall to rob a three-run home run and end the inning. The Panthers carried that momentum into the bottom half of the inning and tied the game at four.

Lorenzo Carrier led off the bottom of the sixth inning by launching a 433-foot solo home run to dead center. Trey Fenderson doubled down the right field line to put himself in scoring position for Joey Baran who shot a game-tying single to center field.

The Cavaliers hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh to regain the lead. Pitt trailed 5-4 after seven innings.

The Panthers would roar back with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a two-run lead heading into the ninth. Kai Wagner led off the inning with a walk and scored all the way from first on Joey Baran's RBI double down the right field line to tie the game. One at-bat later, Carter Dierdorf gave the Panthers the lead with a towering two-run shot to right.

Eddie Smink earned his third save of the season with a scoreless top of the ninth inning to take game one, 7-5, over No. 10 Virginia.

The Panthers look to clinch a ranked series victory with a win tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is slated for 3 PM at Charles L. Cost Field.