Pitt
3-0
Eastern Michigan
0-3
Panthers Sweep Opening Series
2/16/2025 6:48:00 PM | Baseball
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - Pitt swept their opening series in commanding fashion on Sunday afternoon as they scored 17 runs in the series finale against Eastern Michigan.
It's the second-consecutive season that the Panthers have began the year with a sweep in the opening series.
Luke Cantwell, Ryan Zuckerman and Lorenzo Carrier all recorded three hits this afternoon. Cantwell drove in one run on his RBI triple, Zuckerman drove in a career-high five runs, and Carrier drove in three runs on a solo shot and a two-run double. Cantwell (.545), Zuckerman (.438) and Carrier (.429) lead the Panthers in average after the first weekend.
AJ Nessler, Sebastian Pisacreta and Jackson Cooke would all hit home runs in the series finale. For Nessler, it was his second home run in as many games. Gavin Miller collected his first multi-hit game as a Panther, going 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Drew Lafferty got the start for the Panthers and shined in his Pitt debut. Lafferty earned the win, allowing just two runs on four hits over five innings while striking out four. Noah Czajkowski and Sam Bryan each tossed scoreless frames in relief.
The Panthers got the scoring started on Sunday with a three-run bottom of the second inning. Gavin Miller led off the inning with a line drive single to left and David Pedanou followed by beating out a perfect bunt single. Miller would advance to third on the play after an error by the first baseman. Jake Kendro laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt that scored Miller and advanced Pedanou to second. Luke Cantwell would drive in Pedanou on a triple into the right-centerfield gap that put the Panthers up two. Zuckerman would reach on an error by the shortstop, scoring Cantwell as the Panthers led 3-0 after two.
As they had done all weekend, Pitt's offense exploded for a big inning in the middle of the game. The Panthers would plate seven runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cantwell and Zuckerman led off the inning with singles and would both be driven in on a Lorenzo Carrier double to right center. Jayden Melendez worked a walk, putting runners at first and second for Sebastian Pisacreta to line a single to center and drive in Carrier.
With Melendez now at third, Gavin Miller lined an RBI single passed the shortstop that scored Melendez and moved Pisacreta to third. David Pedanou drove in Pisacreta on a ground out back to the pitcher. The bases were loaded for Ryan Zuckerman after Jake Kendro was hit by a pitch and Luke Cantwell walked. Zuckerman roped a two-run single to left and extended Pitt's lead to ten.
Eastern Michigan got two runs back in the top of the fifth inning, they still trailed 10-2.
Sebastian Pisacreta and the Panthers immediately responded as Pisacreta launched his first home run of the year, a solo shot to dead centerfield.
The Panthers erupted for six more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as they ended the series finale in just seven innings. Zuckerman collected his second two-run knock of the day, driving in Kendro and Cantwell on a double. Cantwell reached on a double down the line for his third hit of the day. Nessler and Carrier hit back-to-back solo shots as the Panthers plated their 15th and 16th runs of the afternoon. In his first plate appearance this season, Jackson Cooke launched the first pitch he saw well into the palm trees in left field. The Panthers would sweep the Eagles and take the series finale in just seven innings after scoring 17 runs.
Pitt returns to the diamond next Friday when they take on Monmouth in a three-game set in Cary, NC.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lafferty, Drew (1-0)
L: JONES, Bobby (0-1)
Batting:
HR: WALSH, Connor 1
RBI: WALSH, Connor 2
Base Running:
RUNS: SCHECHTERMAN, Ben 1 ; WALSH, Connor 1
SB: HALE, John 1
CS: HALE, John 1
Batting:
2B: Cantwell, Luke 1 ; Zuckerman, Ryan 1 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 1
3B: Cantwell, Luke 1
HR: Nessler, AJ 1 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 1 ; Cooke, Jackson 1
RBI: Cantwell, Luke 1 ; Zuckerman, Ryan 5 ; Nessler, AJ 2 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 3 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 2 ; Cooke, Jackson 1 ; Miller, Gavin 1 ; Pedanou, David 1 ; Kendro, Jake 1
SH: Pedanou, David 1 ; Kendro, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cantwell, Luke 3 ; Zuckerman, Ryan 2 ; Nessler, AJ 1 ; Carrier, Lorenzo 2 ; Melendez, Jayden 1 ; Pisacreta, Sebastian 2 ; Cooke, Jackson 1 ; Miller, Gavin 2 ; Pedanou, David 1 ; Kendro, Jake 2
SB: Zuckerman, Ryan 1
HBP: Zuckerman, Ryan 1 ; Kendro, Jake 1
