The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Pittsburgh
Pitt Tops Baseball with Walk-off Home Run
April 18 | Baseball
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Casey Roche hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win over The University of Akron baseball team on Wednesday at Cost Field.
UA reliever Dan Becks (0-1) gave up the Roche shot to left and was handed his first loss of the season. Becks pitched 3.0 innings of relief, allowing just two hits and the one run.
Akron (14-23) got a good start from sophomore Myles McVeigh, who was pitching for the first time since early March. McVeigh allowed just one unearned in run in five innings, giving up five hits and striking out two.
Freshman Matt Rembielak led Akron at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Darius Washington also had a pair of hits.
Roche was one of two Panthers with two hits in the game, joining Derik Wilson. JR Leonardi (2-0) tossed two innings of scoreless relief to grab the win.
Pitt (18-18) took the lead in the fourth, using an error on Sam Watkins at third to score an unearned run. Boo Vazquez singled down the right field line with one out to get the Panthers in business. Stephen Vranka then hit a one-hopper to third and Watkins's throw to second flew into right field. After Ron Sucre grounded out to third, with the runners holding, Evan Oswald walked to load the bases. McVeigh plunked the next batter, Wilson, to bring home Vazquez.
Akron quickly answered in the fifth. Dan Burant led off the frame with a single to right and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Burant scored on a single to left center by Rembielak.
Pitt took a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by Elvin Soto in the bottom of the sixth, but UA answered in the next half inning with a sacrifice fly of its own. Bryan White drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Rembielak's single to right. Devan Ahart then lifted a fly ball to deep left center to allow White to score and tie the game.
Akron takes on Western Michigan this weekend in a three-game Mid-American Conference series in Kalamazoo. Friday's series opener begins at 3 p.m.
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