Pitt lost an extra innings heartbreaker to Florida State, 3-2, on Saturday night at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.
It was the ACC opener for the Panthers. With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 7-7 on the season. The Panthers will face Florida State on Saturday for Game 2 of their three-game series with the Seminoles. First pitch is at 3 p.m. and the game can be streamed on the ACC Network.
Freshman AJ Nessler knocked in a run via a RBI single to left field to get the Panthers on top 1-0 in the fourth inning. It was only the Panthers’ third hit of the night, and two of them belonged to Nessler.
Pitt righty Jack Sokol was efficient through four innings, striking out six batters and allowing just four hits. In the bottom of the fourth, Sokol worked out of a jam and forced the Seminoles to strand runners on the corners. Sokol has been by far the Panthers best pitcher in the early portion of the season.
Sokol got out of another jam in the bottom of the fifth and ended the inning with his eighth strikeout. Florida State finally answered in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a single through the right side by Cade Bush to bring home Colton Vincent. Nander De Sedas then doubled to right field to bring Bush in for the go-ahead run. Dylan Simmons retired the side but the Seminoles did damage in the bottom of the sixth with three hits and two runs.
CJ Funk scored on an RBI ground out by Kyle Hess to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the eighth. The Seminoles were in scoring position to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth but Pitt closer Nash Bryan retired the side to force extra innings.
Back-to-back one-out singles by Justin Acal and Nessler gave the Panthers runners on the corners in the top of the 11th. Righty Doug Kirkland got Florida State out of the jam, however, and retired the side to keep the Seminoles alive. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th and no outs, Jordan Carrion singled through the left side to win the game for the Seminoles.
