Cameron Kitt pitched eight shutout innings and Matthew Ballone smacked a three run homer in the third inning to lead the Bearcats to a 7-1 home opener win against the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Tuesday afternoon at MCU Park on Coney Island.

Kitt earned his first win of the season in dominant fashion by allowing no runs, seven hits and striking out six in eight innings of work.

The closest the southpaw got into trouble was in the sixth inning when the Mariners had runners on the corners with two outs, but he struck his next batter to end the inning.

Donovan Hunt hit an RBI single in the second inning to score Jasdeep Buttar for the first run of the game. Ballone crushed a fast ball over the left field fence for a 4-0 advantage in the third inning.

The Bearcats added three more runs in the fifth on an RBI walk by Buttar, a Dan Daley RBI single and an RBI ground out by Hunt for a 7-0 lead.

The visiting Mariners managed to score their only run in their final at-bat, but Bogdan Leyton shut down any rally for the team's fifth win of the season.

Hunt finished with two RBI and Raymond Maurer batted 2-for-3 with a run scored.    

Bryson Campbell led the visitors batting 3-for-4 with a triple and one stolen base.

The Bearcats will continue their home stand at MCU Park on Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader against the Privateers of Maritime College.