"I know how hard he has worked for this moment" - Olivia Dunne crowns boyfriend Paul Skenes' MLB debut as most cherished moment spent together
Olivia Dunne was in the house at PNC Park when her boyfriend and baseball's top pitching prospect, Paul Skenes, took the mound for the first time in the majors. Skenes who is coming off an exceptional start in the minor league, was promoted this week to the majors and started tonight's game against the Chicago Cubs.
The Pirates' broadcast didn't miss the opportunity to interview Livvy. In the bottom of the third, when Skenes was in the dugout, Dunne shared her excitement leading up to the game:
"I have so many amazing memories with him, but I know how hard he’s worked for this moment. All the hours, I just know what a hard worker he is. This is probably one of my favorite moments I’ve ever seen. Seriously, there is nothing that can top this. I’m just so proud."
She also mentioned and acknowledged the support from the Pittsburgh crowd on Saturday.
"The support here is awesome. Pittsburgh has been so welcoming. … The support here is unreal, and I love it."
When asked whether it's harder to compete or watch him face hitters at the mound, the NCAA gymnastics champion replied:
"I always say it's way harder to be the person in the stands watching because I'm not in control.
"I can't control. I don't I mean I don't know how to throw a 100 mile fastball but it's just it's hard to have no control especially with gymnastics too just watching but I know he's got this and I just have a lot of confidence in him."
As the game progresses, the score remains deadlocked at 6-6 in the fifth inning. Skenes' major league debut was lights out until the fourth inning, until the fourth inning when he conceded his first run. He gave up a couple more before exiting the game in the fifth. In total, Skenes pitched four innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out seven major league hitters.
Olivia Dunne explains how they left Indianapolis hurriedly to reach Pittsburgh
When the news picked up about Paul Skenes' promotion, both he and Olivia Dunne were taking a nap. Skenes woke up to find several missed calls and realized he had missed a flight to Pittsburgh, forcing them to drive six hours to reach the city.
"That’s the quickest I’ve ever packed in my life," Dunne said in the same interview. "We just woke up from a nap. He had a few missed calls, and he got called up. And he just said, ‘Let’s pack,’ and we hit the road. It was so exciting."
The couple is enjoying a successful year, with both former LSU athletes earning praise for winning it big in college sports. While Skenes helped LSU win the College World Series, Olivia Dunne lifted LSU's first NCAA gymnastics championship trophy last month in Fort Worth.