Panthers Sweep Doubleheader on Opening Day

Friday, February 16

Port Charlotte, FL

12 PM

Pitt

1-0

Maine

0-1

Maine

Pittsburgh

Panthers Sweep Doubleheader on Opening Day

2/16/2024 8:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Gamebook Game 2 Gamebook

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fl. – The Pitt baseball team took both games of their Opening Day doubleheader against Maine on Friday afternoon. Senior OF C.J. Funk led the offense as he went a combined 5-8 on the day with a home run, two doubles and an RBI.

The Panthers found themselves in two back-and-forth contests and came out victorious in both. Everybody from graduate students to freshman contributed to Pitt's success today. C.J. Funk and Ryan Zuckerman each homered while Phil Fox and Erubiel Candelario each earned saves.

Game 1: Pitt 10, Maine 7

The Panthers struck first on the bottom of the first inning. Following a Tyler Bischke double, and walks by Luke Cantwell and C.J. Funk, Justin Fogel, in his first at-bat as a Panther, knocked a single to right field which scored Bischke from third. Jayden Melendez would ground into a double play that resulted in a run. Panthers led by two after one.

Maine would get one run back in the top of the second and add more in the top of the third. Black Bear first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins hit a two-run home run that temporarily put Maine up 3-2 in the top of the third inning.

The Panthers offense erupted in the bottom of the third inning, scoring five runs on five hits. Luke Cantwell began the rally with a single to right as C.J. Funk followed that up with a double down the left field line. The bases were loaded for Jayden Melendez following a Justin Fogel walk. Melendez lined a ball to right that scored Cantwell and kept the bases loaded for Turner grau. Grau hit a two-run double off the wall in right that scored Funk and Fogel. With two outs, Tennessee transfer Jake Kendro lined a single to left field and cleared the bases. Pitt led 7-3 after three.

Senior RHP Matt Fernandez was shut down in relief, he threw four innings after coming in to start the fourth, allowed only one run on three hits and struck out three.

In his collegiate debut, freshman INF Keeton Burroughs collected his first hit in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single to the second baseman. Following a throwing error, Jayden Melendez would score from third and pad the Panthers' lead.

C.J. Funk led off the bottom of the seventh with a bang as he hit his and the Panthers' first long ball of the year. After hits by Justin Fogel and Jayden Melendez, Josh Spiegel would hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to put the Panthers up 10-4.

Maine did not go silently, as they added three runs in the top of the eighth. Phil Fox came in to stop the bleeding and shut the door on game one. Fox struck out three batters in his 1.2 IP and earned the save.

Game 2: Pitt 7, Maine 4

Maine took the first lead of the ballgame in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Jeph Hadson-Taylor.

They held that lead until the bottom of the fourth when Justin Fogel would score on a wild pitch. He would lead the Panthers in runs scored in both games today with four.

Jayden Melendez brought in C.J. Funk on a sacrifice fly on the bottom of the sixth to put Pitt in front for the first time in game two, one of the many lead changes down the stretch.

Maine added two in the top of the seventh to take the lead back and go up 3-2. Freshman INF Ryan Zuckerman's first career hit was a game-tying opposite-field home run on the bottom of the seventh to knot the game at three apiece. After Dom Popa reached on an error by the second baseman and stole second, Pitt would regain their lead again on a line drive single to center by Luke Cantwell.

In the top of the eighth, Maine third baseman Jake Marquez tied the game once again with a solo shot to left field.

Justin Fogel led off the bottom half of the eighth with an infield single and would advance to second base after the throw wound up in Maine's dugout. Jayden Melendez roped a ball up the middle that scored Fogel and would be the eventual game winning RBI. After stealing second, Melendez was driven in by a Kendro double down the left field line. Kendro would score from second following a wild pitch and a passed ball and put the Panthers up 7-4.

Graduate RHP Erubiel Candelario closed game two and earned the third save of his career while striking out two in the top of the ninth.

The Panthers return for the third and final game of their series against Maine tomorrow, Saturday, February 17 at 12 PM. Senior RHP Jack Sokol will get the start for the Panthers.