Pitt Beats Iowa 10-8 on Eighth Inning Rally

Sunday, February 16

Port Charlotte, Fla.

11 a.m.

Pitt

3-1

Iowa

2-1

Iowa

Pitt

Pitt Beats Iowa 10-8 on Eighth Inning Rally

2/16/2020 4:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Pitt baseball (3-1) scored five unanswered runs in the eighth inning to beat Iowa (2-1) 10-8 in the final day of the Snowbird Classic Sunday afternoon at North Charlotte Regional Park. The Panthers finished with the best record in the six-team tournament.

Riley Wash started the rally with a one-out walk, and Pitt loaded the bases up with two outs on consecutive infield singles by Jordan Anderson and Nico Popa. David Yanni brought in the first run when he was plunked by a pitch. Ron Washington, Jr. gave the Panthers the lead on a bases-clearing double to right center. Kyle Hess knocked in Washington, Jr. for the final run on another RBI-double down the left field line.

The Panthers struck first in their first trip to the plate. Anderson led off with a double down the right field line. After advancing on a fly out to left field by Popa, he tagged up again and scored on the sac fly in left field territory by Yanni.

The Hawkeyes took advantage of miscues by the Panthers in the third inning to take the lead. A runner reached base on a throwing error and later scored on an RBI-single. A three-run homer to left field followed with two outs.

Pitt tied it up the following inning. Bryce Hulett was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to second base on a balk. After Nick Vera singled to left field, Sky Duff knocked in both baserunners with a double to left center. Anderson put runners on the corners again with a single to centerfield.

The Hawkeyes took back the lead on a run from a fielding error with two out in the seventh inning.

The Panthers tied it up in the bottom of the inning. Popa led off with a single through the left side, and Yanni followed with an RBI-double to right field.

Iowa reclaimed the lead once again in the next inning on a one-out, RBI-single to centerfield and added two more runs on a passed ball and another RBI-single to centerfield.

NEWS AND NOTES

Chase Smith (1-0) earned the win in relief, recording the last five outs. Smith allowed no runs, one hit and two walks. He finished the weekend with four scoreless innings of relief.
Starting pitcher Matt Gilbertson made his Panthers' debut and went seven innings with no earned runs, no walks, eight hits and five strikeouts.
Pitt has scored in the first inning in all four games of the season.
The Panthers racked up 36 runs in the four games this weekend with three outings of 10+ runs (11 against Indiana State and 14 versus Saint Joseph's).
Anderson had a game-high three hits with two runs, and Popa was the only other Panther with more than one hit.
Yanni and Washington, Jr. both tallied three RBI's and a walk.
Washington Jr. finished the tournament 7-17 at the plate with a team-high eight RBI's and seven runs along with four extra-base hits, a pair of homers and doubles.