Panthers Sweep UMass with 10-5 Victory

Sunday, March 4

Kissimmee, Fla.

12:30 PM

Pitt

9-2

Massachusetts

1-3

UMass

Pittsburgh

Panthers Sweep UMass with 10-5 Victory

3/4/2018 5:50:00 PM | Baseball

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Pitt Tallies Fourth Straight Win

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A 10-run output lifted the University of Pittsburgh baseball team to a weekend sweep of UMass Sunday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla., as the Panthers defeated the Minutemen 10-5 in the final game of the weekend.

Pitt (9-2) used a pair of big innings in the opening frames to jump out to a lead, never letting up as the Panthers scored their most runs in an outing since a 17-run performance on Feb. 17 in a 17-3 decision over Toledo.

The Panthers plated three in the opening stanza after Massachusetts took a 1-0 lead following a bumpy first inning for Dan Hammer. A walk to Alex Amos and Liam Sabino, split up by a single from David Yanni would load the bases with just one out, making way for a two-run single off the bat of Nick Banman. Frank Maldonado would follow with a single of his own to score Sabino, as Pitt took a 3-1 lead.

Hammer would settle in over the next two innings, retiring the side in order in both the second and third innings, allowing Pitt to post two more in the second.

Back-to-back singles by Connor Perry and Amos put two on for Sabino to crack a two-run, two-out double into right, giving the Panthers a four-run advantage.

Massachusetts would cut the lead to three in the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch to put the lead at 5-2 in favor of Pitt. The Panthers got in back in the bottom of the fifth, however, as another RBI single by Maldonado gave Pitt a 6-2 advantage.

Leading 6-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Pitt would pile on four more runs to reach the double-digit plateau for the second time this season. A leadoff double by Perry, followed by an Amos single put runners on the corners, as a Yanni sacrifice fly scored Perry. After a wild pitch and failed pickoff attempt put Amos on third and Banman drew a walk, Bryce O'Farrell would shoot a ball at the third baseman, reaching on an error as Amos scored and the inning remained alive.

Another error in left field during Ron Washington Jr.'s subsequent at bat would score both Banman and O'Farrell as Pitt saw its largest lead of the day at 10-3.

Reliever TJ Pagan entered the game in the seventh and tossed a pair of clean innings, finishing his appearance with four strikeouts and just one hit in 2.0 innings of work. Pitt would get in a bit of trouble in the ninth, giving up two and allowing the minutemen to load the bases with just one out, before Yaya Chentouf would take control of the game, fanning two in 2/3 innings of work, recording his third save of the season.

Hammer finished the outing going 4.0 innings, giving up two hits, two runs and three walks, whiffing five. Chris Gomez tossed 2.0 innings, allowing one run off three hits, while Pagan saw 2.0 innings of work, giving up just one hit and fanning four.

Offensively, Maldonado paced the team, going 3-3 with two RBI, while Sabino posted a 3-4 performance with two RBI and two runs scored, also drawing a walk. Banman also tallied a pair of RBI, as Pitt posted 14 hits on the afternoon.

With the win, Pitt moves to 9-2 on the season, winners of four straight. The Panthers will get a well-deserved off day on Monday before returning to action on Tuesday, taking on Saint Peter's at 11 a.m. at Osceola County Stadium. The game will be Pitt's final tune up before ACC play gets underway the following weekend at Virginia Tech.

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