University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Eastern Michigan
Panthers Come Roaring Back, Walk It Off in Extras on Opening Day
2/14/2025 7:22:00 PM | Baseball
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - The Panthers won an extra-inning thriller against Eastern Michigan in Port Charlotte, FL on a Ryan Zuckerman walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning.
The Panthers erased a six-run deficit in the seventh inning en route to their Opening Day win. It was Pitt's first extra-inning win on Opening Day in program history.
For Zuckerman, it was the second walk-off home run of his young career. His first coming against Washington in Corpus Christi, TX last February.
Zuckerman (3) and AJ Nessler (2) each had multiple-hit games while Luke Cantwell (2), Lorenzo Carrier (2) and Derrick Tarpley Jr. (2) each drove in multiple runs.
Relievers Kyle Demi and Gavin Chillot combined for five shutout innings out of the Panther bullpen. Chillot earned the first win of his career with the performance.
Eastern Michigan got on the board first with a solo home run to left by Cooper Vance in the top of the third inning. They added three runs on one hit in the top of the fourth and led 4-0.
In his first game back at Pitt, AJ Nessler lined a single to left to lead off the fourth inning. Melendez reached on a hit by pitch for the second time today and the Panthers had runners at first and second with no one out. Nessler advanced to third on a Gavin Miller lineout to right field and would score on a sacrifice fly to center field by Derrick Tarpley Jr. Pitt trailed 4-1 after four full frames.
Eastern Michigan got that run back in the top of the fifth inning on another solo home run. The Eagles now led 5-1.
Cantwell and Pisacreta led off the bottom of the fifth with walks and would advance to second and third on a Lorenzo Carrier groundout. Nessler would reach as Cantwell scored on an error by the second baseman that gave Pitt their second run of the game.
The Eagles plated three more runs in the top of the seventh and led 8-2.
The Panthers would come roaring back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring six runs on six hits to knot the game at eight runs apiece.
Pisacreta led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to third. Lorenzo Carrier followed him with a two-run home run to left field in his first game as a Panther. A Zuckerman opposite field single and Melendez walk put runners at first and second for Gavin Miller who would line an RBI single to right that scored Zuckerman and cut the lead to three.
Derrick Tarpley Jr. collected his second RBI on his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon as he drove in Melendez from third on a fly ball to center field. With Miller still on first, Jake Kendro doubled down the left field line. Pitt now had the tying run in scoring position with two outs and the top of the order up. Preseason top-5 first baseman, Luke Cantwell sliced a game-tying two-run double down the left field line as the Panthers erased their six-run deficit.
Senior Kyle Demi came out of the bullpen in the top of the eighth inning and threw two shutout innings the keep the Panthers in it. Sophomore Gavin Chillot earned the first win of his career as he tossed three shutout innings in relief in the extra frames.
With one out in the bottom of the 12th inning, Ryan Zuckerman launched a walk-off solo shot over the left field wall as he gave Pitt a win on Opening Day.
The Panthers return tomorrow afternoon at 1 PM against Eastern Michigan. Left-handed junior Ryan Reed will start on the mound for Pitt.
