Softball Falls to Seton Hall in Doubleheader
4/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Softball Falls to Seton Hall in Doubleheader
4/23/2005
PITTSBURGH?The Pitt offense managed 10 runs and 19 hits on a cold, wet Saturday doubleheader but couldn't get a victory in a doubleheader sweep by visiting Seton Hall at Trees Field.
The Pirates (27-12, 12-2 Big East) won the first game 10-4 after taking an early 8-0 lead and won the second contest by a score of 8-6 in eight innings. The Panthers (18-24, 4-6) had scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6, forcing the extra frames.
In game one, the Pirates scored once in the first, twice in the second and five times in the fourth inning off of starter Christa Hunter (Sacramento, Calif./Hiram Johnson West). Included in the big fourth inning for Seton Hall were back-to-back home runs by Laura Taylor and Jenna Best. Pitt got one run back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Second baseman Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) singled to lead off the inning and was moved to second with two outs before a base hit by Hunter brought her around to score.
The Panthers added three more runs in the sixth inning to cut the Pirates' lead to four. With one out, Casey Pickard (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart) singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hunter then drove her second run of the game in on a base hit to center field. After Joey Scarf (Humble, Texas/Humble) reached on a fielder's choice, shortstop Sheena Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) connected on her third home run of the season to right-center field for the Panthers' third and fourth runs.
Seton Hall plated two more runs in the seventh to account for the final score of 10-4. Hunter allowed 17 hits and 10 runs in 4.1 innings of work, while the Pitt bullpen performed solidly with 2.2 perfect innings by Meghan Bostick (Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine) and Laura Belardinelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott). Hunter and Hellon combined to drive in all four Panther runs.
Belardinelli started the second game for the Panthers and after a leadoff home run by Katie Pierce in the first inning, the sophomore pitcher settled down and was given a 3-1 lead by the offense. The Panthers' first two runs came in the second inning on a two-run home run by Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin). It was Dignon's first collegiate homer and scored catcher Heather Connor (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg), who had reached on a walk.
The Panthers added another run in the third inning after a leadoff double by DiMaria. Morgan Howard (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) singled with a bunt to move DiMaria to third and then forced a throw trying to steal second that allowed DiMaria to score.
Seton Hall came back, however, with three runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the seventh for a 6-3 advantage. With one out in the last half of the seventh, DiMaria singled for her third hit of the game and Howard reached for the second time on a bunt single, moving DiMaria up to second base. Pickard chopped a ground ball up the middle and even though the Pirates got an out with a force, DiMaria raced all the way around to score on the play to cut the lead to two runs. After Hunter walked, she was replaced at first base by pinch runner Leanne McCarron (Norwood, Pa./Interboro). Scarf then blasted a ball off the right-center field fence and raced all the way around for a two-run triple, tying the game at 6-6.
The Pirates added two more runs in the eighth inning, however, and held on for the extra-inning victory. DiMaria finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Howard, Scarf and Dignon had two hits apiece as Pitt ended up outhitting Seton Hall, 11-7, and scored six times off of All-American Megan Meyer. Belardinelli went the distance and struck out a season-high seven batters in eight innings. The Panthers will host St. John's (17-28-1, 4-8 Big East) tomorrow at 11 a.m. in a doubleheader at Trees Field.