Nine-Run Seventh Inning Helps Central Michigan Down Pittsburgh Softball
3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nine-Run Seventh Inning Helps Central Michigan Down Pittsburgh Softball
3/8/2003
PLANT CITY, Fla. ? In the final game of the Speedline Invitational, Pittsburgh gave up nine runs in the seventh inning and fell, 12-3, to Central Michigan on Saturday morning.
Pittsburgh (4-13) has now lost 10 consecutive games and finished 0-5 at the tournament. A three-run fifth inning got the Chippewas out to the first lead of the game but Pittsburgh tallied in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to two.
Beth Gill (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), who was 3-for-3 in the game, had a two-out single and stole second base for her fifth theft of the season. After an infield single by Ana Velazquez (Santa Ana, Calif./Santa Ana C.C.), Angela Blackmon (San Diego, Calif./Palomar C.C.) singled up the middle to score Gill with the Panthers' first run.
The game stayed that way until the top of the seventh when the Chippewas plated nine runs on seven hits and four errors off of pitchers Nikki Gasti (Carmichaels, Pa./Carmichaels) and Janelle Pepe (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville).
Down 12-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Pittsburgh scored twice to make it a nine-run game. Gill got her third hit on a leadoff single and moved to second after pinch-hitter Missy Smith (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas) drew a walk. With two outs, Casey Pickard (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart) doubled to left field to score Smith and Gill.
Gasti allowed eight hits and seven runs in 6 1/3 innings, but only three were earned. She had five walks to go along with six strikeouts. Pepe pitched just 2/3 of an inning but allowed five hits and five unearned runs with a walk.
Pittsburgh will play in the Winthrop Invitational this coming weekend, March 14-16, in Rock Hill, S.C.