University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Western Michigan Defeats Pittsburgh, 7-3
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Western Michigan Defeats Pittsburgh, 7-3
3/5/2003
PLANT CITY, Fla. ? The Pittsburgh softball team dropped to 4-8 with its fifth straight loss, a 7-3 decision to Western Michigan in a make-up game on Wednesday. After having four games cancelled due to inclement weather in the past four days, Pittsburgh scheduled games against Central Michigan (4-3 loss) and Western Michigan during a day off.
Pittsburgh got out to 2-0 lead in the top half of the second inning. Angela Blackmon (San Diego, Calif./Palomar C.C.) led the inning off with a walk and moved to second on a base hit by center fielder Beth Gill (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair). Both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt and after a strikeout, Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) drew a walk to load the bases.
Pinch-hitter Heather Andrews (Zelienople, Pa./Riverside) drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI, scoring Blackmon from third. Then, Casey Pickard (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart) scored Gill on an RBI single to make it 2-0 in favor of the Panthers.
Four runs in the bottom half of the second and three more in the third gave the Broncos a 7-2 cushion. Starting pitcher Nikki Gasti (Carmichaels, Pa./Carmichaels) went the distance for the Panthers, allowing seven hits and five earned runs in six innings. Gasti struck out six batters while walking four Broncos.
Pittsburgh added a run in the fourth inning on a double by Jessica Thomas (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) and an RBI single by DiMaria.
The Panthers will compete in the South Florida Speedline Invitational tomorrow through Saturday.
