University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Softball Splits Big East Doubleheader at Connecticut
4/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Splits Big East Doubleheader at Connecticut
4/16/2005
STORRS, Conn. ? The Pittsburgh softball team needed nine innings in the first game of a doubleheader at UConn, winning 2-1 before dropping the second contest by a score of 3-1.
The split gives the Panthers a 3-3 mark in the Big East and an overall record of 16-20. After six scoreless innings in the first game, junior Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) reached on a leadoff double and moved to third on a wild pitch. With one out, shortstop Sheena Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) doubled off of Huskies pitcher Jessica Gurney for the game's first run.
Connecticut (14-20, 4-8) tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run by Christine Keeton, the only run off of Pitt starter Christa Hunter (Sacramento, Calif./Hiram Johnson West). In the second extra frame, DiMaria did leadoff damage again, blasting her first home run of the season to center field for the deciding run.
Hunter (8-9) allowed just six hits and the home run in nine innings of work, walking none and striking out three. Gurney took the loss but allowed just four hits and struck out 10 Panthers in the first game. She also pitched the entire second game for UConn and allowed just five hits and one run with two walks and five strikeouts in the 3-1 win over Pitt.
UConn scored once in the second and twice in the fourth off of Panthers' starter Meghan Bostick (Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine). Pitt got one back in the sixth inning when Hunter singled and was pinch-run for by freshman Leanne McCarron (Norwood, Pa./Interboro). McCarron scored two batters later on a double by Hellon. First baseman Casey Pickard (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart) had two of the Panthers' five hits and third baseman Valerie Mihalik (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) had her third and fourth stolen bases of the season. Bostick took the loss to drop to 2-4 on the season while sophomore Laura Belardinelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) threw two scoreless innings of relief.
The Panthers are at Providence on Sunday for another Big East twinbill, beginning at noon.
