Olivia Dunne watches as boyfriend Paul Skenes struggles during his Double-A baseball debut at Altoona
- Skenes gave up four runs on three hits in the first inning with the Altoona Curve
- Dunne stood in the stands watching, days after starting her freshman year at LSU
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MLB top designer Paul Skenes’ debut in the Double-A didn’t go as planned, with his girlfriend, gymnast Olivia Dunne, cheering him on.
Skenes started the game for Pittsburgh Pirates-affiliated Altoona Curve, but gave up four runs on three hits in the first inning against the Akron Rubber Ducks.
He was pulled out after scoring only two outs in the first inning while walking two batters. After pulling him, Altoona won the game 9-8.
Skenes only earned his call-up to Altoona a few days ago after impressing at Pittsburgh’s Single-A affiliate in Bradenton, Florida.
Therefore, it is not clear how long he was expected to play in Saturday’s match before finally being withdrawn.
Paul Skenes struggled in his Double-A ball debut with the Altoona Curve, conceding four runs
He did this while his girlfriend, TikTok superstar and LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, watched
Dunne made the trip to Pennsylvania from Baton Rouge, where school is about to begin
“Looking at today’s outing it probably wasn’t the best and it wasn’t the best performance either,” Skenes said after the game, according to the Post-Gazette.
“But they hit three balls through the infield at 90 mph and nine times out of ten I felt like it was zero and they just landed three.”
Skenes recently confirmed his romance with Dunne in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, talking about their relationship and the difficulties of dating while being world-class athletes.
“It sure is fun,” Skenes admitted. “It can be tricky sometimes, honestly, when it comes to actually going somewhere.
“If one of us were to go to Baton Rouge alone, there would probably be someone asking for something: a photo, an autograph, whatever.
“It’s nice to be able to have that conversation. She gets it. I wish she could come to a baseball game and just enjoy it. It irritates me.’
In the stands, Dunne appeared to be turning heads at Peoples Natural Gas Field in the central Pennsylvania city before the game against Akron. He posted a TikTok video showing some fans parting ways with her.
She recently opted to take classes online this season due to concerns about her safety following her rise in popularity.
Skenes was selected first overall in the MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates this summer
Skenes helped LSU Tigers win the 2023 College World Series and win the MVP award
She also shared an insight into the team’s “cardio day” — one of the first videos she posted since returning to campus for classes.
Dunne is one of the highest earning female athletes when it comes to NIL deals.
Skenes’ season could end soon as the minor league baseball calendar comes to a close.
It’s been a busy 2023 for him, winning a national title with the Tigers after transferring to LSU.