Five-Run Eighth Inning Propels Pitt over Kent State

Tuesday, March 19

Pittsburgh, PA

3 PM

Pitt

10-8

Kent State

9-11

Kent State

Pittsburgh

Five-Run Eighth Inning Propels Pitt over Kent State

3/19/2024 7:42:00 PM | Baseball

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PITTSBURGH - Pitt's late-inning heroics were enough and more to propel them over Kent State 12-8 on a bitter Tuesday afternoon. C.J. Funk and Tyler Bischke each had three this and drove in at least three runs.

Tyler Bischke went 3-4 with 3 RBI in today's midweek matchup, he has had 15 hits over his last six games and is currently riding a 13-game hitting streak. C.J. Funk collected the 13^th three-hit game of his career and his third in the last four games. Funk went 3-4 with four runs scored, four RBI and a three-run home run. Freshman Ryan Zuckerman went 2-2 with an RBI single and two walks, he has registered a hit and an RBI in his last four games. Dom Popa went 1-3 today and extended his 17-game hitting streak with his single in the third inning.

In the third start of his career, Aidan Coleman provided Pitt with quality innings in the early part of this game. Coleman threw 3.0 innings and allowed two run son three hits with three strikeouts. Matt Fernandez earned his second win of the year going 1.1 innings and allowed one earned run on two hits. Phil Fox shut the door in the ninth and worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.

The Panthers struck first on a Jayden Melendez RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. Pitt led 1-0 after one.

Kent State got two runs in the top of the third on a solo home run to center and an RBI groundout to lead the Panthers 2-1.

Pitt immediately responded with a two spot of their own to regain the lead in the bottom half of the inning. The Panthers led off the inning with back-to-back singles from Dom Popa and C.J. Funk while Luke Cantwell was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Popa's single extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Justin Fogel drove in Popa from third on sacrifice fly to left and Pitt knotted the game at two. In the next at-bat, Tyler Bischke lined an RBI double down the right field line and Pitt regained their lead and led 3-2 after three.

Ryan Zuckerman led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to center field. He's recorded a hit in each of his last four games. Making his second career start, Keeton Burroughs came up and the Panthers executed a perfect hit-and-run that put runners at the corners with no one out. C.J. Funk then launched a towering three-run home run to left field and the Panthers led 6-2 after four.

The Golden Flashes would get one of those runs back on a fielder's choice in the top of the fifth. Like they had previously, answered right back and extended the lead back to four.

Ryan Zuckerman lined his second single of the day the other way into the right field and drove home Grau from second.

Kent State would retake the lead with a five-run top of the seventh inning. After loading the bases on a walk, single and a hit by pitch, the Golden Flashes walked in a run and cut the lead to three. After a Panther pitching change, Lance MacDonald jumped on the first pitch and hit a grand slam that put Kent State up a run in the seventh.

Pitt once again matched what Kent had done in a previous inning and scored five runs of their own to take the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth inning. Turner Grau lined a leadoff single through the right side of the infield, Ryan Zuckerman and Keeton Burroughs each walk, and the Panthers were quickly in business with the bases loaded and nobody out. Dom Popa was drilled on the eighth pitch of his at-bat and the game was tied at eight. Two pitched later C.J. Funk lined an RBI single, and his third hit of the day, through the left side and Pitt regained their lead once again. Pitt's walks leader Luke Cantwell drew a bases loaded base on balls that added another run. With two outs, Tyler Bishcke knocked a two-run single to right, also his third hit of the game, and Pitt led 12-8 heading into the ninth.

Phil Fox came in to the close it out in the top half of the ninth and worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts to put the final touches on the comeback victory.