SAN JOSE, CA \u2013\u00a0The Pitt Panthers (12-2) earned their second-consecutive series sweep and eighth-consecutive win with their 3-2 victory at San Jose State on Sunday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stellar outing from\u00a0Drew Lafferty<\/a>, accompanied by a strong performance from the Panther\u00a0bullpen, paved the way for Pitt in the series finale.<\/p>\n Lorenzo Carrier<\/a>\u00a0continued his scorching hot streak at the plate going 2-3 with a two-run home run and a double today. In his last five games, he is now 16-for-19 with 24 RBIs, 13 runs scored, six home runs, two triples and two doubles. Carrier leads the ACC in RBIs with 36.<\/p>\n Drew Lafferty<\/a>\u00a0struck out four and did not allow a single walk over his five scoreless innings as he earned his third win of the season. Lafferty now has three wins in his first four starts of the season.\u00a0Sam Bryan<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Mikey Gray<\/a>\u00a0each tossed scoreless frames in relief and each escaped jams with the game-tying run in scoring position. Bryan struck out two batters in the bottom of the eighth inning while Gray fanned a Spartan batter to end the game and clinch the sweep for the Panthers.<\/p>\n AJ Nessler<\/a>\u00a0(1-4, R),\u00a0Kai Wagner<\/a>\u00a0(1-4, RBI) and\u00a0Carter Dierdorf<\/a>\u00a0(1-4) had the Panthers’ other three hits on the afternoon. Wagner drove in a run on an RBI groundout in the top of the third inning. His RBI proved to be the difference in Sunday’s win.<\/p>\n The Panthers jumped to an early lead in the top of the first inning off the bat of non-other than\u00a0Lorenzo Carrier<\/a>\u00a0who blasted a two-run shot on the first pitch he saw on Sunday.\u00a0AJ Nessler<\/a>\u00a0led off the game with a single up the middle and would score on Carrier’s long ball.<\/p>\n Carrier doubled to left field in the top third inning to continue his hot streak. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch and was brought home on a\u00a0Kai Wagner<\/a>\u00a0RBI groundout to second. The Panthers led 3-0 through three.<\/p>\n Drew Lafferty<\/a>\u00a0kept the Spartan offense off the board, tossing five scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed just three hits, struck out four and did not walk a single batter.<\/p>\n Joey Ciancimino<\/a>\u00a0relieved Lafferty to start the sixth and worked two scoreless frames.<\/p>\n Ciancimino surrendered two runs in the top of the eighth inning and San Jose State cut the lead to just one.\u00a0Sam Bryan<\/a>\u00a0came out of the bullpen to relieve Ciancimino with runners on second and third and no one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Bryan struck out two and escaped the jam as the Panthers led 3-2 through eight.<\/p>\n