Through five innings, Grove was unblemished against the Panthers. He struck out four and allowed just five hits. For the sixth inning and beyond, head coach Randy Mazey opted to go to the bullpen.
And it backfired.
Conner Dotson surrendered all four of Pitt’s runs in just over an inning of work as the Panthers took Round 1 of the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia, 4-1. These teams will meet each other again on May 17 in Pittsburgh.
Whether home or away, members of both team know how important this game is to their respective schools and their fans.