Pitt Cruises Past Central Connecticut State 14-2 in Final Day of RussMatt Central Florida Invitational

Sunday, March 1

Sanford, Fla.

1 p.m.

Pitt

10-1

Central Connecticut State

2-5

Central Conn. State

Pitt

Photo by: Simone Amaduzzi

Pitt Cruises Past Central Connecticut State 14-2 in Final Day of RussMatt Central Florida Invitational

3/1/2020 4:58:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

SANFORD, Fla. – Pitt baseball (10-1) defeated Central Connecticut State (2-5) 14-2 in the finale of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational for its eighth-straight win Sunday afternoon at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium. The two teams agreed to end the game in the middle of the seventh inning.

Through 11 games into the season, the Panthers are tied for the second-best start in program history (1963, 1967 and 1993). The 2002 squad went 10-0-1.

The Panthers got the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Leadoff batter Cameron Barto doubled down the left field line and advanced on a wild pitch on a walk by Sky Duff. With one out, Kyle Hess brought home Barto on a ground out to second base.

Pitt ballooned its lead in the next inning with seven runs. Bryce Hulett led off with a single to right field. With one out, Riley Wash smashed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall, his second homer of the season. Jordan Anderson was hit by a pitch and stole second base. After Barto walked, Duff doubled to left center to bring home Anderson. Both Duff and Barto scored on a single up the middle by Nico Popa. Hess doubled down the right field line to knock in Popa and then scored on a fielding error by the second baseman in the next at-bat.

The Panthers added six more runs the next inning. Pitt loaded up the bases in the first three at-bats. Wash hit a single off the right field wall, Anderson dropped a single to left center and Barto was hit by the first pitch he saw. Duff drew a walk for the first run. Hess and Popa hit back-to-back, one-run singles through the left and right sides. Ron Washington Jr. cleared the bases with a double to left field.

NEWS AND NOTES

Matt Gilbertson (2-0) threw five scoreless innings to record his second-straight win in a start. Gilbertson allowed three hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
Chase Smith threw one pitch, the final one of the game, for a ground out double play.
C.J. McKennitt had a scoreless inning of relief with two hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
Batting first in the Panther's lineup for the first time this season, Duff went 1-2 with three walks, two RBI's and two runs.
Popa recorded a game-high three hits along with three RBI's and two runs.
Hess had three RBI's, two hits and two runs.
Wash went 2-3 with two RBI's, two runs and a walk.
Making his first collegiate start at shortstop, Barto was 1-2 with three runs and a walk.
Anderson notched his third-straight game with a stolen base and has five in the last five games.
Pitt has scored first in every game this season.
With 14 runs off 12 hits and seven walks, Pitt registered its seventh double-digit hit and run games of the season.
The Panthers combined for 46 runs in the tournament, the most for one weekend of play this season despite not batting in any ninth inning and having five frames nullified due to two shortened games.

HEAD COACH MIKE BELL'S TAKE

Hear from @CoachMikeBell22 following another perfect weekend in Sanford, FL. And enjoy a cute video bomb by @CoachMegahee kids ?? #H2P pic.twitter.com/2mmnCMWtfd
— Pitt Baseball (@Pitt_BASE) March 1, 2020