David Yanni drove in five runs and Pitt used a seven-run seventh inning to rout Eastern Michigan, 10-4 in Sanford, Florida on Saturday and start their season with a 5-1 record.
Yanni hit a two-run in the fifth inning and then a three-run double in the sixth. He finished 2 for 5 with five RBIs and now holds the team lead with 12 RBIs on the season.
The rally in the sixth was another big two-out performance, something the Panthers have done several times already this season.
Bryce Hulett, Nick Vera and Jordan Anderson walked around a pair of strike outs to load the bases with two outs. Nico Popa walked, bringing in one run and then Yanni doubled to right center, clearing the bases.
Yanni came home on a Ron Washington, Jr. double to left. Kyle Hess kept it going with a double to left that scored Washington and Samuel Frontino singled home Hess.
The offensive outburst came just after the Eagles had tightened the game. The Panthers tool a 3-0 lead into the sixth, when starter Mitch Myers (1-1) ran into his first trouble of the evening. Myers had allowed just one hit in his first five innings of work, but two singles and two doubles put two EMU runs on the board.
Myers finished with 5 2/3 innings pitched and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking none. His ERA after two games this season is 3.37.
Junior Grant Powell cleaned up the sixth and worked another scoreless inning. He’s yet to allow a run in 6 1/3 innings this season.
Sophomore Brady Devereux ran into trouble in the eighth. A single, an error and two more singles scored a pair of Eagles and Chase Smith came on to work the final 1 2/3 innings. Smith is up to 5 1/3 scoreless innings to start his 2020 season.
The Panthers will wrap their three-game series with Eastern Michigan in Sanford with a noon first pitch on Sunday. RHP Matt Gilbertson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season.
