Panthers Drop ACC Opener at No. 6 North Carolina

Friday, March 11

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3:00 PM

Pitt

6-5, 0-1

North Carolina

11-1, 1-0

Pitt

North Carolina

Panthers Drop ACC Opener at No. 6 North Carolina

3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 11, 2016

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – An eight-run fifth inning propelled the sixth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels to a 14-2 victory over Pitt in the opening contest of ACC action from Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Friday afternoon.

“Obviously we are disappointed with the outcome,” said head coach Joe Jordano. “We had to patch together our pitching staff today and we had two pitchers out with the flu. We are so thin right now and it is possible that we may have to play a double header tomorrow because of the weather. We have to fight through it and complete. We are a much better team than this.”

The Tar Heels got out to a quick start, sitting down the first six Panther batters and jumping out to a 3-0 lead through three innings.

In the fourth, Jacob Wright reached base with a single over the head of pitcher Zac Gallen. He advanced around to third following a sacrifice from Matt Johnson and a deep fly ball to right field from Nick Yarnall. A well-hit single up the middle from Charles LeBlanc would bring Wright home and cut the UNC lead to 3-1.

UNC broke the game open in the fifth, plating eight runs to jump out to an 11-1 edge. The Tar Heels added to their lead with runs in the sixth and seventh to take the 14-1 lead.

The Panthers kept things interesting in the ninth, as a pair of walks put runners on first and second with no outs. Pinch hitting for LeBlanc, P.J. DeMeo sent a single up the middle to bring David Yanni around. Pitt would load the bases for Ron Sherman and Aaron Schnurbush, but neither was able to bring runners home as the Panthers dropped their first ACC contest of the season.

With the loss, Pitt falls to 6-5-0 on the season. Tyler Garbee is handed his first loss of the year as the freshman falls to 0-1.

Wright, Yanrall, LeBlanc, DeMeo and Schnurbush were the only Panther hitters to record hits in the outing, as Pitt managed just five as a squad.

Game two of the series will take place tomorrow at 2 p.m. with ESPN 3 on the broadcast.

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Notes: The loss marks the fifth time this season in which Pitt has surrendered 10 or more runs in an outing … the Panthers let up 10 on Feb. 19 vs. Niagara, surrendered 11 against Ohio State on Feb. 20, allowed 12 to New Orleans on March 4 and gave up 13 to New Orleans on March 5 … Pitt falls to 3-4 in the all-time series against the Tar Heels … Charles LeBlanc extended his hitting and reached base streaks, having posted 10 straight contests with a hit and 18 consecutive games touching base … Jacob Wright has hit safely in three straight outings … Nick Yarnall has reached base in 10 straight and Jacob Wright has reached safely in nine straight … Pitt falls to 3-4 on the road this season … the Panthers drop to 0-1 in the ACC … Pitt is now 2-3 when wearing gray jerseys in 2016 … the Panthers fall to 4-3 against right handed starting pitchers … Pitt is now 1-3 when trailing after six and 0-4 when trailing after eight … the Panthers are 3-5 when surrendering more than six hits this season and 0-2 when they are out-hit by their opponent … the Panthers fall to 0-4 in the month of March and 2-2 in Friday games … Pitt is now 1-3 following a loss on the season and is currently riding a four-game slide.