After an extra innings loss on Friday night, Pitt fell again to Florida State on Saturday afternoon at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee as the Seminoles edged out the Panthers, 5-3.
With the loss, Pitt is now 7-8 on the season and 0-2 in ACC play. The Panthers will wrap up its ACC opening series with Florida State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Seminoles got out of the gates with four runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-0 lead. Jaime Ferrer got things started by singling through the left side to knock in a run. Jordan Carrion then doubled to right field to bring home another run, and just like that, Florida State led 2-0. Cam Smith concluded the inning by singling through the left side to earn two more runs for the Seminoles. To say the least, it was a rough opening inning for Pitt righty Kyle Mosley.
The Panthers had bases loaded with nobody out after walks by Noah Martinez and Jack Anderson and a single by Kyle Hess in the top of the fourth. Things looked promising for Pitt to get some runs, but Florida State lefty Wyatt Crowell had other ideas. Crowell struck out two Pitt batters and forced an out at home plate to retire the side.
Jayden Melendez hit a solo shot in the top of the seventh to bring the Panthers within three runs at 4-1. Hess then got walked with the bases loaded to bring home another run for Pitt. Jamie Arnold struck out Justin Acal to end the inning and put a halt to Pitt’s two-run scoring surge.
Florida State rebounded and scratched across another run in the bottom of the eight to increase its lead to 5-2. Nander De Sedas scored off an unearned run after a throwing error by Pitt catcher Jaylen Melendez.
The Panthers made it a two-run ballgame in the top of the ninth, thanks to a RBI single by Hess to bring home CJ Funk. Pitt was unable to muster any more runs, however, as Andrew Armstrong struck out Nessler with the bases loaded to end the game.
