Panthers Down Reigning Big 10 Buckeyes Under the Lights

Saturday, February 18

Kissimmee, Fla.

5:00 PM

Pitt

2-1

Ohio State

2-1

Ohio State

Pittsburgh

Panthers Down Reigning Big 10 Buckeyes Under the Lights

2/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

KISSIMMEE, FL - A dominant season debut from senior Josh Falk led the University of Pittsburgh baseball team to a 7-2 victory over reigning Big 10 Champions Ohio State in the final game of a doubleheader Saturday evening at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla.

Falk was electric, going 8.0 innings, allowing just one run off three hits and three walks, fanning seven batters. The strikeouts tied a season high for the senior, matching the seven batters he fanned in his Pitt debut against Niagara in 2016.

Ohio State struck first, as Falk had his only bump of the outing. Tre' Gantt led off with a ground rule double, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jalen Washington. Gantt would cross home on a sacrifice fly by Noah McGowan, giving the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers took control in the second as two runs came across to give Pitt a lead it would not relinquish. Manny Pazos got things going with a leadoff walk and moved to second as P.J. DeMeo reached an error by the Buckeyes' third baseman. A sacrifice bunt by Alex Amos would put the pair in scoring position for a ground rule double off the bat of Nico Popa to bring both home.

Pitt added another in the third, converting a free base from a Frank Maldonado hit-by-pitch. Maldonado would move to second on a wild pitch and score on a Pazos RBI single up the middle, extending Pitt's lead to 3-1.

In the fourth, Amos would single up the middle to get things going, but was called out at second on a Popa fielder's choice. After stealing second, Popa moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher and was brought around on an infield single from Jacob Wright.

The Panthers kept the pressure on in the seventh as Caleb Parry led the frame off with a double to left field. A sacrifice bunt attempt from David Yanni would move Parry to third, and Yanni was able to reach on an error by the third baseman. As Nick Banman was hit by a pitch to the bases, a sacrifice fly from Pazos would score Parry and give the Panthers a 5-1 lead.

Pitt got two more in the eighth as three straight walks to Amos, Popa and Wright would load the bases. Parry would draw the fourth walk of the inning to bring home a runner before another walk to Banman gave the Panthers a 7-1 advantage.

Falk pitched eight innings of nearly perfect work, settling down after the first frame, retiring 20 of the 25 batters he faced in his final seven innings. He retired the side in order in the second, fifth and six innings as he accumulated his seven strikeouts.

T.J. Pagan came on in relief of Falk after a long eighth inning, getting a quick two outs after a strikeout and groundout. A single up the middle and hit by pitch would put a pair on before a single sent up the middle loaded the bags. Pagan would allow a walk as a run came across before the Panthers would call on veteran Sam Mersing to close things out.

Mersing, tossing in his second game in two days, got his batter to line out thanks to a nice grab from Yanni, as Pitt claimed the 7-2 victory.

With the win, Pitt improves to 2-1 on the season. The win is just the second all-time against the Buckeyes as Pitt moves to 20-2-0 against the Big 10 powerhouse.

The Panthers will close out the Sunshine State Classic tomorrow, competing in their second game of the weekend against Delaware. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. as the Panthers look to sweep the Blue Hens.

NOTES: Freshman Nico Popa went 1-3 with two runs scored and two RBI … fellow freshman Alex Amos went 2-3 with a run scored … Manny Pazos added a two-RBI performance, going 1-3 with a run scored … Josh Falk was electric, shutting down a Buckeye offense that scored 13 runs in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader … Sam Mersing earned his first save of the season.

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