Saturday was the realization of a lifelong dream for Olivia Dunne’s boyfriend, Paul Skenes, but it wasn’t without its twists and turns.
In a recent interview with SportsNet Pittsburgh, the All-American LSU gymnast shared the wild behind-the-scenes story of how the couple was able to make it to Pittsburgh in time for Skenes’ first game.
“We just woke up from a nap,” Dunne told the network. [And] he had a few missed calls.”
One call was from the Pirates letting him know about the big news. “He was like, ‘Let’s pack,'” she continued. “And then we hit the road. It was so exciting.”
The pair ended up missing their flight to Pittsburgh though so they instead had to drive six hours from Indianapolis to the Steel City.
“It’s amazing,” Livvy said. “The support here is awesome. Pittsburgh has been so welcoming. The support here is unreal. I love it. Seriously, there’s nothing that can top this. I’m just so proud.”
Skenes impressed in his MLB debut, striking out seven batters in four innings while hitting 100 MPH on his fastball 17 times.
“I know he’s just got this, and I have a lot of confidence in him,” Dunne concluded. “I have so many amazing memories with him, but I know how hard he’s worked for this moment — all the hours, and I just know what a hard worker he is.”