CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Friday, May 22, the Pittsburgh Panthers continued their big ACC Tournament run with an 8-6 win over the Florida State Seminoles.
The Seminoles held on to a 6-5 lead heading into the ninth inning after scoring on an error by Pitt’s second baseman, Trey Fenderson. Kai Wagner came through in a big way for the Panthers with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. This gave Pitt an 8-6 lead as they would go on to victory.
After the loss, Florida State head coach Link Jarrett talked about Pitt’s team with lots of admiration.
“That is a damaging lineup,” Jarrett said. “Mike [Bell] knows what he is doing with that pitching staff. They walk a lot too, and that factored into lots of their runs today.”
Wagner has two home runs for Pittsburgh, Fenderson continues big weekend
Wagner’s ninth-inning home run was not the only long ball he had against the Seminoles.
In the fifth inning, he hit a solo home run to extend Pitt’s lead to 5-1. Wagner finished the day with four RBIs and also drew a walk.
Fenderson’s big weekend continued for Pitt as well. Despite an error in the eighth inning, he had a home run and another multi-hit day. He has had multiple hits in every game for the Panthers during the ACC Tournament.
Pitt head coach Mike Bell talked about Fenderson and the week he has had. Even with all of Fenderson’s offense, Bell has been pleased with his second baseman’s defense as well.
“I think he has made two or three of the best defensive plays in this tournament,” Bell said. “He has played phenomenally and is a big part of our lengthy lineup.”
David Leslie had a massive relief outing for the Panthers
Pitt pitcher David Leslie earned the win out of the bullpen as he pitched the final three innings of the game. In those three innings, he had six strikeouts while allowing no hits and just one run that was not earned.
During his outing against Florida State, Leslie made 65 pitches. He threw 103 pitches just three days ago against the Louisville Cardinals at Truist Field.
Leslie talked about his big outing against the Seminoles.
“I felt ready to go out there and do what I could,” Leslie said. “I gained confidence as the game went on as well.”
Up next for Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Panthers big-time ACC Tournament run continues into the semifinal round. On Saturday, May 23, they will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels at Truist Field. The first pitch for that game is at 3 p.m. ET.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Pittsburgh base runner Kai Wagner (2) runs to third base during an NCAA baseball game against Stanford on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Lachlan Cunningham)
