University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Softball Edged by Temple, 3-1, at Speedline Invitational
3/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Edged by Temple, 3-1, at Speedline Invitational
3/7/2003
PLANT CITY, Fla. ? A two-run first inning and an insurance run in the fifth helped propel Temple to a 3-1 victory over the Panthers on Friday at the South Florida Speedline Invitational.
The loss dropped Pittsburgh to 4-12 and pushed its losing streak to nine games.Freshman pitcher Christa Hunter (Sacramento, Calif./Hiram Johnson West) allowed two first-inning runs to the Owls, one of which was earned before Pittsburgh got the chance to bat. Hunter was replaced by senior Nikki Gasti (Carmichaels, Pa./Carmichaels) in the second inning.
Pittsburgh scored its first run in 26 innings in the bottom of the second to cut the Owls' lead in half. With one out, Gasti, who doesn't usually bat, collected her first career hit on a single up the middle. After a double by Tiffany White (Carlsbad, Calif./Palomar C.C.) moved Gasti to third, an RBI single by Beth Gill (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) made it a 2-1 game.
It stayed that way until the fifth inning when the Owls picked up an insurance run for the 3-1 victory. Gasti pitched six innings of relief, allowing five hits and one run, while striking out five batters against just one walk. Gill had two of the Panthers' five hits, with Gasti, White and Ana Velazquez (Santa Ana, Calif./Santa Ana C.C.) picking up the other three singles. Gill also had her fourth stolen base of the year for the Panthers.
Pittsburgh plays Central Michigan in the final game of pool play on Saturday morning at the Plant City Softball Complex.
