Livvy Dunne Attends First 2025 Pirates' Paul Skenes' PNC Park Start
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PITTSBURGH — Former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne made her first appearance at PNC Park this season, watching her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Priates pitcher Paul Skenes.
Skenes and the Pirates faced the Chicago Cubs in their series finale at home on May 1. He would get through the first four inning scoreless, including allowing three straight walks in the fourth inning, but getting a crucial grounder for a double play.
He then allowed three solo home runs in the fifth inning, which allowed the Cubs to take a 3-2 lead, en route to their 8-3 road victory.
Skenes finished after just five innings of work, allowing five hits, three earned runs, four walks, and posting two strikeouts over 86 pitches.
He is now 3-3 in seven starts in 2025, with a 2.74 ERA over 42.2 innings pitched, with 41 strikeouts to eight walks and an opposing batting average of .199.
Dunne made her first appearance in Pittsburgh this season, while not getting the result she wanted from her boyfriend, but still enjoying a pleasant day in the city.
She has previously watched him twice in person in 2025, coming on Opening Day vs. the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park in Miami on March 27 and also in his previous start vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium on April 25.
Dunne just finished her fifth season with LSU gymnastics, where they finished third at the National Championships. She helped LSU win their first National Title in the 2023-24 season, as well as setting a career-high of 9.900 on floor twice. She also spent time on the U.S. National Team back in 2017.
She announced her retirement from gymnastics after the end of the season and won't take the mat again after 20 years of dedication to the sport.
Skenes and Dunne started dating each other back at LSU, and the two have been inseparable ever since.
The duo also featured in a GQ magazine feature, with the couple wearing designer clothes and taking photos in a rare snowstorm in Baton Rouge.
Dunne, prior to her retirement, was the most followed NCAA athlete on social media, including 5.3 million followers on Instagram and eight million followers on Tik Tok.
Skenes starred at LSU in 2023, after transferring from Air Force. He had a 13-2 record in 19 starts, 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings, giving up just 23 earned runs and seven earned runs, while notching 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks, leading the program to a national title that season.
He would enter the 2023 MLB Draft, where the Pirates took him with the No. 1 overall pick. He also signed with the franchise on a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given to a player at the time.
Skenes dominated in the minor leagues and soon made it up to the majors on May 11 of the 2024 season.
He started 23 games, had a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings, allowed just 29 earned runs, 94 hits, six home runs and 32 walks, while recording 170 strikeouts and holding opposing hitting to a .198 batting average. He also had a 11.50 K/9 and a WHIP of 0.95.
Skenes was the first member of the Pirates to start for the National League in the All-Star Game since Jerry Reuss did it in 1975, 49 years ago. He was also just the fifth rookie to start an All-Star game, with Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers last doing so before him in 1995, en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year.
He also made the All-MLB First Team for his performance in 2024, won NL Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.