Английский Этимологический словарь - pitch (v.)

- 12c., from pihte, past tense of pichen "to thrust, to drive," from O.E. *pician "to prick." The original past tense was pight. Sense in pitch a tent is from notion of "driving in" the pegs; meaning "throw a ball" evolved c.1250 from that of "hit the mark." Sense of "slope, degree, inclination" is from 1542; musical sense is 18c.; but the connection of these is obscure. Sales pitch is attested from 1876, probably extended from meaning "stall pitched as a sales booth" (1811).