Good evening from Doug Kingsmore Stadium as we get ready for game 1 of this 3 game series against Pittsburgh. This is the first time since 2016 that Pittsburgh has returned for baseball. It was in 2016 that Pittsburgh upset the Tigers in football and then went on to win the National Championship in football, Maybe this is a good omen. First pitch is slated for 6:02pm and In case you haven't heard, due to impending weather on Sunday, tomorrow will be a double header. If you cant make it tonight tune in here for live play by play coming up shortly.

Leading off the top of the 1st for PIttsburgh, Luke Cantwell

Cantwell liner to right field for the 1st out in the inning and that brings Jaylon Melendez to the plate.

Melendez with a shot off the pitcher that rolls into right field and Pittsburgh has its first runner on base. That will bring Justin Fogel to the plate.

Tristan Smith just balked and that will bring the pitching coach for the Tigers out to the mound for a conversation.

Fogel with the in between grounder and nice hustle by Tristan Smith to get over to the bag for the 2nd out in the inning. That brings Tyler Bischke to the plate.

The runner for Pittsburgh advanced to 3rd and a wild pitch by Tristan allows the runner to score.

Bischke with a shot back up the middle into center field. That brings Dom Popa to the plate.

Popa will bat to start the top of the 2nd. The catcher dropped the ball and the runner was caught stealing 2nd. However, Pittsburgh gets a run on one hit a balk and a pass ball.

Leading off the bottom of the 1st for the Tigers, Cam Cannarella

Cannarella with a ground to the 2nd baseman for the first out in the inning. At the plate for Tigers, Alden Mathes

Mathes goes down on strikes and that brings Blake Wright to the plate.

Wright pops it up and that will end the inning for the TIgers.

Leading off the top of the 2nd for Pittsburgh Dom Popa

Popa with a shot Depp in the pocket at short, Hinderleider slipped on the throw and the runner is safe. At the plate for Pittsburgh CJ Funk

Funk goes down a beautiful inside pitch and that brings Josh Spiegel to the plate.

Spiegel with a line drive played perfectly by Alden Mathes and that brings Jake Kendro to the plate for Pittsburgh

Kendro goes down on strikes. 

Leading off the bottom of the 2nd for the Tigers, Jimmy Obertop

Obertop goes down on strikes and so far Pittsburgh pitching has been dominant. At the plate Jacob Hinderleider

Hinderleider goes down on strikes and a throw down to first. That brings Nolan Nawrocki to the plate.

Nawrocki goes down on strikes but the catcher dropped the ball, struggled to find it and Nawrocki is safe. Now they say Nawrocki is out and Bakick is out to talk to the umpires and the umpires are talking about it. Apparently there is no review and the call stands. 

Leading off the top of the 3rd for Pittsburgh Ryan Zuckerman

Zuckerman draws a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the 3rd and back to the top of the mine up for Pittsburgh, Luke Cantwell

Luke goes down on strikes and that brings Jayden Melendez to the plate.

Melendez goes down on strikes for the 2nd out in the inning. At the plate for PIttsburgh, Justin Fogel

Fogel with the line drive in the between the left fielder and center field and what should have been the 3rd out in the inning turns into a error and the left fielder drops the ball. runners on first and second and Tyler Bischke at the plate.

A wild pitch and runners move up for Pittsburgh.

Bischke draws a walk and the bases are loaded as Dom Popa comes to the plate.

Pitching coach out to have a conversation with the whole infield.

Popa with a hit into left field and that will score 2. Pittsburgh with runners on first and third with 2 outs and that brings CJ Funk to the plate and a balk has been called and we have a conversation amongst the umpires.

The call stands and another run crosses the plate for PIttsburgh who now leads the Tigers 4-0

That will end the night for Tristan Smith. Pitching now for the Tigers Lucas Mahlstedt

Funk with a sharp grounder to the 2nd baseman for the 3rd out of the inning but Pittsburgh gets 3 runs on 1 hit.

Leading off the bottom of the 3rd for the Tigers Tristan Bissetta

Bissetta sratrs the bottom of the 3rd off with a base hit into center field and that will bring Jarren Purify to the plate.

Purify goes down on strikes and that brings Jacob Jerrell to the plate.

Jerrell goes down on strikes and thiat was a questionable sequence of called pitches, regardless there are 2 outs and Cam Cannarella comes to the plate.

Cannarella goes down on strikes to end the inning and again a questionable sequence of called pitches by the umpires. We are 1/3 of the way through

Leading off the top of the 4th for Pittsburgh Josh Spiegel

Spiegel with the grounder to the 3rd baseman for the first out in the inning. That brings Jake Kendro to the plate.

Kendro goes down on strikes after a check swing the previous pitch should have been the 3rd strikes. Regardless there are 2 outs and Ryan Zuckerman at the plate for Pittsburgh

Zuckerman goes down on strikes. Figures if the umpires isn't going to call the proper call, he will do it himself.

Leading off the bottom of the 4th for the Tigers Alden Mathes

Mathes with a grounder up the middle. Shortstop makes a great play for the 1st out in the inning bringing Blake Wright to the plate.

Wright gives it a ride to right field and the right fielder makes a great catch up on the wall. That brings Jimmy Obertop to the plate.

Obertop just crushed one over the left field bleachers and the Tigers are on the board

Jacob Hinderleider at the plate.

Hinderleiderdraws a walk and that brings Nolan Nawrocki to the plate.

That brings out the Pittsburgh coaching staff and you would think that at some point Nawrocki is going to get a hold of one and this would be the time to do it.

Nawrocki goes down on strikes, but the Tigers did get a run on Obertop bomb.

Leading off the top of the 5th for PIttsburgh Luke Cantwell

Cantwekk with the fly ball to left field. Perfectly played by Bissetta. That will bring Jayden Melendez to the plate.

Melendez with the grounder to the short stop b ut the throw is way off mark and Melendez ends up at 2nd on the wild throw. That brings Justin Fogel to the plate.

Fogel with the high infield popup in foul territory third base side and Blake Wright hauls it in for the 2nd out in the inning. Tyler Bischke at the plate.

Bischke pops it up on the first base side in foul territory and Obertop hauls it in for the 3rd out in the top of the 5th.

Leading off the bottom of the 5th for the Tigers, Tristan Bissetta

Bissetta draws a leadoff walk and that will bring Jarren Purify to the plate.

Purify with a base hit into left center field and a stand up double. Runners on 1st and 3rd and that brings Jacob Jarrell to the plate.

Jarrell with a deep fly to the wall in left field scoring Bissetta. Purify moves up to 3rd bringing Cam Cannarella to the plate while the coaching staff for Pittsburgh walk out to the mound to make a pitching change. Pitching now for the Panthers Ryan Partridge. Andrade had been anywhere between 85 -96 tonight and it took a while for the Tigers to finally figure it out and get the bats going at the plate.

Cannarella with a shot in the gap into right center field and a stand up double. That drives in Purify and the Tigers bats have came alive. At the plate for the Tigers, Alden Mathes.

Mathes with a base hit up the middle and that score Cannarella and this game is tied. Coming to the plate for the Tigers, Blake Wright.

This will bring Pittsburgh head coach back out and another pitching change for the Panthers #30 Matthew Fernandez.

Update from South Bend, in the 10th inning softball

Mathes with the great jump on the steal but the umpires are gathering and Pittsburgh is challenging the call at 2nd base. The runner is out.

Wright with the line drive to center field for the 3rd out in the inning but the Tigers gets 3 runs on 3 hits.

Leading off the top of the 6th for PIttsburgh Dom Popa

Popa  with the base hit into center field and the lead off guy is on for Pittsburgh to start the top of the 6th inning.At the plate, CJ Funk

Funk with the grounder to the 2nd baseman for what should have been a easy 4-6-3 double play but the throw once again was wide by Hinderleider. At the plate Josh Spiegel

Spiegel goes down on strikes and again the umpire is a little sporadic behind the plate. At the plate, Jake Kendro.

Kendro with the grounder to the 3rd baseman to end the inning. 

Leading off the bottom of the 6th for the Tigers Jimmy Obertop

Obertop with his 2nd home run of the night. He has went back to back and the Tigers have taken the lead. At the plate for the Tigers, Jacob Hinderleider

Hinderleider with the base hit and that brings Nolan Nawrocki to the plate.

Nawrocki with a flare into center field and trying for extra bases, Hinderleider gets thrown out at 3rd as Nawrocki end us at 2nd base. At the plate, Tristan Bissetta

A passed ball and Nawrocki moves up to 3rd.

Bissetta hit by the pitch. runners on first and third for the Tigers and that brings Jarren Purify to the plate.

Coach is out to talk to the Pittsburgh infield.

Final from South Bend in softball. The lady Tigers finally won a  game in extra innings defeating ND 8-5

Bakich In a little gamesmanship calls his base runners and batter right outside the dugout for a little conversation.

Purify lays down the perfect sacrifice RBI bunt and the umpires are convening. Apparently the Tigers are challenging the call at first base. Purify by the replay should be safe as the ball came out of the glove and the 1st baseman foot was off the bag as he gathered the ball. Purify is ruled safe and now the Pittsburgh coach is challenging the call. The call after a double review is safe and that brings Jacob Jarrell to the plate.

Jarrell goes down on strikes and that brings Cam Cannarella to the plate.

Cannarella with a shot down the first base line and the first baseman makes a great play by the Tigers get 2 more runs. We are 2/3 of the way through. Pittsburgh won the first 1/3, the Tigers own the 2nd 1/3 of the game.

Stat Line

Leading off the top of the 7th for Pittsburgh, Ryan Zuckerman

Zuckerman with the line shot off Jerfiy and into right field. Athletic training staff to check on him. He will stay in the game. Apparently he lost his footing trying to make a play as well. That will bring Luke Cantwell to the plate.

Cantwell hit by pitch off the elbow shield but B akick seems to think it hit off of his bat. The call is being challenged and right now Pittsburgh has runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs pending the challenge of the call.

All indications are the batter was hit on the elbow guard and it looks like the call is going to be upheld from the review here in the press box. 

The call stands and Pitt has runners on 1st and 2nd and that brings Jayden Melendez to the plate.

Bakich out and the Tigers are going to make a pitching change. The Tigers are bringing in Reed Garris.

Melendez goes down on strikes and what a start for Garris as Justin Fogel comes to the plate.

Fogel goes down swinging and that brings Tyler Bischke to the plate

Bischke with the fly ball into right field and the Tigers get out of the inning. We are at the 7th inning stretch

Leading off the bottom of the 7th for the Tigers, Alden Mathes. A new pitcher for Pittsburgh Ben Kovel

Mathes with the grounder to 2nd who was playing deep in the whole and its abang bang play at first. The call is out is being challenged by Bakcih. As a former umpire, its a judgement call and a tie doesn't always go to the runner. This could go either way. The runner is out. Again the call could go either way. I will give the umpires credit for this one

Blake Wright at the plate.

Wright with a drive into center field and Wright is blasting the baseball. At the plate, Jimmy Obertop

Obertop with a mile high pop up in no mans land but the 2nd baseman was able to get over and make the play. That will bring Jacob Hinderleider to the plate. On the previous bat by Obertop he hit one down the 3rd base line that was about 2 inches from being fair. Another great call by the um pire.

Hinderleider goes down on strikes to end the inning.

Leading off the top of the 8th for Pittsburgh, Dom Popa

Popa with the grounder to the first baseman for the first out in the inning. That will bring CJ Funk to the plate.

Funk with the deep fly ball to right field and Alden Mathis collects it for the 2nd out in the inning. At the plate, Josh Spiegel

Spiegel goes down on strikes for the 3rd out in the inning.

Leading off the bottom of the 8th for the Tigers Nolan Nawrocki

Nawrocki with the grounder to the short stop for the first out in the inning and that will bring Tristan Bissetta

Bissetta with the grounder to the 2nd baseman who has a little trouble handling the baseball but gathers it in for the 2nd out in the inning. That brings Jarren Purify to the plate.

Purify with the base hit into left field and that will bring Jacob Jarrell to the plate.

Jarrell with the infield popup to the 3rd baseman and that will do it for the Tigers in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Pitching now for the Tigers in the top of the 9th Austin Gordon

Leading off the top of the 9th for Pittsburgh Jake Kendro

Kendro down on strikes and Gordon comes out firing. Pinch hitting for Pittsburgh Jonah St Antoine

Antoine on a check swing and for the first time tonight the 3rd base umpire called it a swing and the Clemson crowd let him know it in a sarcastic way

Antoine goes down on a beautiful outside corner pitch and that brings Luke Cantwell to the plate.

Cantwell goes down on a swing and a miss and the Tigers take game 1 of this 3 game set with Pittsburgh.