Pitt scores second consecutive upset of nationally ranked North Carolina
Pitt recorded its second consecutive stunning victory against a nationally ranked North Carolina team Friday, defeating the No. 11 Tar Heels, 7-1, at Charles L. Cost Field.
The game was the first between the teams since Pitt upset then-No. 5 North Carolina in the 2018 ACC Tournament.
“It was another outstanding team effort,” said Pitt coach Mike Bell, whose team has won seven of its past 10 games. “The pitching and defense were great from the start. Derek (West, winning pitcher) will tell you that he didn’t have his best stuff, but he gutted through a gutsy performance. Offensively, some big hits from Zach (Klapak), Connor (Perry), Bryce (O’Farrell) and Cole (MacLaren) really set the tone for us at the beginning of the game and allowed us to extend things late. Overall, it was a great team effort.”
West (3-2) earned his second consecutive ACC victory, working six innings, allowing one run, three hits and five walks while striking out six batters. Relief pitchers Chris Gomez and Chase Smith pitched the final three scoreless innings.
O’Farrell recorded three of Pitt’s 13 hits. Perry, Nico Popa and David Yanni each collected two.
North Carolina losing pitcher Tyler Baum had not lost since March 22.
The teams will conclude the series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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