Knotted at 11 in the top of the ninth inning last night, Luke Cantwell launched a two-run blast to right which lifted Pitt past Louisville, 13-11, in the first round of the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship.
Pitt delivered once again in the late innings to come out on top, this time doing so with their season on the line. For the fifth time in six trips, the Panthers won a game at the ACC Tournament. They set a program record for most runs in an ACC Tournament game with 13. Their previous mark of 12 runs came against Georgia Tech in 2022, the same year Pitt beat Louisville to advance to the semifinal round. The Panthers have won four of their last five games against the Cardinals, with their last two wins coming in the ACC Tournament.
Pitt walked a season-high 13 times. Over half of those free passes (seven) came around to score.
Cantwell was the hero as he sent a game-winning, two-run homer over the right field wall in the top of the ninth inning to break the 11-11 tie. Despite holding leads of five and seven runs, the Panthers found themselves in a tie ballgame as they headed to the final frame. As he has all year, Jackson Cooke delivered in a pinch-hitting role. Cooke reached on a hit-by-pitch and was subsequently pinch-ran for by Keeton Burroughs. One at-bat later Cantwell delivered in arguably the biggest moment of his Pitt career.
Lorenzo Carrier drove in five runs for the second time this season, and just the third time in his career. On his birthday, Carrier lined a two-run double in the first inning and blasted a three-run home run off the foul pole in the top of the eighth inning. His five RBIs were the most in an ACC Tournament game by a Panther in program history.
Jayden Meledez launched his seventh home run of the season in the top of the third inning. AJ Nessler had another productive day at the plate, reaching base four times on two hits and two walks while he drove in a run on a single in the second. Despite being held hitless in the first round, Caden Dulin walked three times and scored two runs.
Pitt needed just two pitchers in round one as their starter Ryan Reed gave them six solid innings. EthanFiroved entered to start the seventh and earned his third win of the season. Firoved gave up five runs over his three innings but seven of the nine outs he recorded came via the strikeout.
Pitt will play the No. 7 seeded Duke Blue Devils at 5 p.m. this evening on the ACC Network.
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THE ASYLUM
Pitt Athletics
12:49 pm - 05.21.2025Durham, N.C.Baseball: Gritty win to open ACC Tournament
Knotted at 11 in the top of the ninth inning last night, Luke Cantwell launched a two-run blast to right which lifted Pitt past Louisville, 13-11, in the first round of the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship.
Pitt delivered once again in the late innings to come out on top, this time doing so with their season on the line. For the fifth time in six trips, the Panthers won a game at the ACC Tournament. They set a program record for most runs in an ACC Tournament game with 13. Their previous mark of 12 runs came against Georgia Tech in 2022, the same year Pitt beat Louisville to advance to the semifinal round. The Panthers have won four of their last five games against the Cardinals, with their last two wins coming in the ACC Tournament.
Pitt walked a season-high 13 times. Over half of those free passes (seven) came around to score.
Cantwell was the hero as he sent a game-winning, two-run homer over the right field wall in the top of the ninth inning to break the 11-11 tie. Despite holding leads of five and seven runs, the Panthers found themselves in a tie ballgame as they headed to the final frame. As he has all year, Jackson Cooke delivered in a pinch-hitting role. Cooke reached on a hit-by-pitch and was subsequently pinch-ran for by Keeton Burroughs. One at-bat later Cantwell delivered in arguably the biggest moment of his Pitt career.
Lorenzo Carrier drove in five runs for the second time this season, and just the third time in his career. On his birthday, Carrier lined a two-run double in the first inning and blasted a three-run home run off the foul pole in the top of the eighth inning. His five RBIs were the most in an ACC Tournament game by a Panther in program history.
Jayden Meledez launched his seventh home run of the season in the top of the third inning. AJ Nessler had another productive day at the plate, reaching base four times on two hits and two walks while he drove in a run on a single in the second. Despite being held hitless in the first round, Caden Dulin walked three times and scored two runs.
Pitt needed just two pitchers in round one as their starter Ryan Reed gave them six solid innings. Ethan Firoved entered to start the seventh and earned his third win of the season. Firoved gave up five runs over his three innings but seven of the nine outs he recorded came via the strikeout.
Pitt will play the No. 7 seeded Duke Blue Devils at 5 p.m. this evening on the ACC Network.
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