Pitt
1-0
Maine
0-1
Baseball Tops Maine in Wild Season Opener
2/17/2023 8:53:00 PM | Baseball
The Panthers broke a seven-all tie by plating four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, then hung on in the top of the ninth as redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Brady Devereux came out of the bullpen and shut the door on the Black Bears.
Freshman infielder Anthony LaSala came up big at the plate in his first career start, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored to help key the victory for Pitt. On the mound, sophomore right-handed pitcher Jonathan Bautista gave the Panthers three scoreless innings of relief.
Pitt's four-run eighth opened with junior catcher Johnny Long III reaching on a throwing error, then advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior outfielder Dom Popa. LaSala chased Maine junior right-handed pitcher Colton Carson from the game with a single to right that put runners on the corners for the Panthers. A walk by graduate student infielder Sky Duff loaded up the bases, then junior outfielder CJ Funk coaxed a walk of his own to push across Long III and break the deadlock. A two-RBI single back up the middle by senior infielder Noah Martinez extended the Pitt lead to three runs. One out later, Funk and Martinez executed a double steal that saw Funk score, making it 11-7.
Maine did not go quietly in the ninth, however. A two-run home run by junior infielder Quinn McDaniel cut Pitt's lead to 11-9, and the Black Bears got another run on a fielder's choice with two outs to make it a one-run game. Devereux denied Maine of its comeback attempt, though, striking out graduate student utility player Dylan McNary to end the game.
Maine opened the scoring to start the new season, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run homer by sophomore first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins.
Pitt responded with a run of its own in the home half of the first as freshman outfielder AJ Nessler drew a bases-loaded walk in his first career plate appearance to bring home Martinez and make it a one-run game.
The Panthers took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the second and another in the third, highlighted by a two-RBI double to center by Duff in the second that brought home LaSala and Popa.
Maine got a run back on a solo shot by Jenkins in the fourth, but Pitt responded with three more runs in the home half. An RBI double down the left field line by sophomore infielder Tommy Tavarez scored senior infielder Jack Anderson and got the three-run frame started.
The Black Bears retaliated with a four-run fifth to tie it up at seven apiece, but Bautista's strong effort out of the bullpen kept the score even until the Panthers broke through with their big eighth.
Anderson led Pitt at the plate with a 4-for-6 day that included two doubles and a run scored. Tavarez joined Anderson and LaSala with multiple hits.
In his first career start on the mound as a Panther, junior right-handed pitcher Kyle Mosley struck out five over four innings of work.
Pitt and Maine meet again on Saturday in game two of the three-game weekend set in Sarasota. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. The game can be seen on FloBaseball.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bryan, Nash (1-0)
L: Colton Carson (0-1)
S: Devereux, Brady (1)
Batting:
2B: Jeff Mejia 1 ; Jake Marquez 1
HR: Quinn McDaniel 1 ; Jeremiah Jenkins 2
RBI: Jake Rainess 1 ; Quinn McDaniel 2 ; Jeremiah Jenkins 4 ; Connor Goodman 1 ; Jeff Mejia 1
SF: Connor Goodman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jake Rainess 1 ; Quinn McDaniel 3 ; Jeremiah Jenkins 4 ; Dylan McNary 1 ; Mike Pratte 1
HBP: Jake Rainess 1 ; Connor Goodman 1
PO: Jake Rainess 1
Batting:
2B: Duff, Sky 1 ; Anderson, Jack 2 ; Tavarez, Tommy 1 ; Nessler, AJ 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 1
RBI: Duff, Sky 2 ; Funk, C.J. 1 ; Martinez, Noah 2 ; Tavarez, Tommy 1 ; Nessler, AJ 2 ; LaSala, Anthony 2
SH: Popa, Dom 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 1
SF: Nessler, AJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Duff, Sky 1 ; Funk, C.J. 1 ; Martinez, Noah 1 ; Anderson, Jack 1 ; Tavarez, Tommy 1 ; Nessler, AJ 1 ; Long III, Johnny 2 ; Popa, Dom 1 ; LaSala, Anthony 2
SB: Funk, C.J. 1 ; Martinez, Noah 1 ; Tavarez, Tommy 1
HBP: Popa, Dom 1
PO: Funk, C.J. 1
