Panthers Fall in Rubber Match to No. 8 North Carolina

Sunday, April 27

Pittsburgh, PA

1 PM

Pitt

20-21, 6-15

North Carolina

33-10, 15-9

NORTH CAROLINA

PITTSBURGH

Panthers Fall in Rubber Match to No. 8 North Carolina

4/27/2025 5:37:00 PM | Baseball

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PITTSBURGH - Pitt (20-21, 6-15) lost their rubber match to the No. 8 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, 6-0, on Sunday afternoon.

Kyle Demi and Ethan Firoved provided Pitt with five shutout innings to start Sunday's contest. Demi, making his second start this year and second of his career, tied his career high for strikeouts with five over his three innings. After picking up the six-out save in game two to even the series, Ethan Firoved tossed two more scoreless innings on Sunday. Firoved did not allow a single base runner in his four innings against the Tar Heels this weekend.

AJ Nessler logged his second three-hit game of the season and his second multiple-hit game of the weekend. He went 3-4 with three singles on Sunday. Ryan Zuckerman had a single in the second inning, he registered a hit in every game this weekend. Zuckerman Has recorded a hit in five of Pitt's last six games, he leads the team in home runs (10), RBIs (38), runs scored (37) and slugging percentage (.579). Freshman Julian Irizarry had a single in Sunday's rubber match as well as a leaping grab up against the right field wall in the fourth inning.

The Panthers had base runners on in the early frames but were never able to get a run home. For the fourth time in five games, David Pedanou led off the game by reaching safely. Following Pedanou's leadoff hit-by-pitch the Panthers hit into a double play.

Pitt starter Kyle Demi struck out the side and threw his second-straight shutout inning to start the day in the top of the second.

Ryan Zuckerman and AJ Nessler each singled in the bottom of the second inning. Zuckerman was caught stealing and Nessler was left stranded.

Pitt loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nessler singled and Melendez walked before Irizarry bunted them each into scoring position. Sebastian Pisacreta worked a walk to load the bases. In a pinch-hitting spot, Jackson Cooke flew out to shallow right field. Nessler tagged from third on the play and was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

North Carolina added one run in the top of the sixth inning and four in the top of the seventh to jump out to a five-run lead in Sunday's rubber match.

Pitt loaded the bases again in the bottom of the ninth inning following Nessler's third hit of the game and walks from Melendez and Irizarry. The Panthers left them loaded and fell in Sunday's rubber match to No. 8 North Carolina, 6-0.

Up Next

The Panthers travel to Akron, OH to take on the Akron Zips at Canal Park this upcoming Tuesday, April 29. First pitch is scheduled for 6 PM.