University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Late Inning Heroics Give Panthers Two More Conference Wins
5/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Late Inning Heroics Give Panthers Two More Conference Wins
5/1/2005
PITTSBURGH?The Pitt softball team won twice on Sunday in its final at-bat, sweeping Boston College to complete a 4-0 weekend and moved into a tie for fourth place in the Big East Conference.
The Panthers (22-24, 8-6 Big East) won both games by scores of 4-3, hitting two home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one to complete a comeback and then won in extra innings in game two on a sacrifice fly and fielder's interference to move closer to their first postseason berth.
Pitt got on the board early in game one with a run in the bottom of the first inning off of starter Britney Thompson. Second baseman Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) connected on her school-record 10th career triple and scored on a groundout two batters later for a 1-0 lead. Boston College (18-24, 6-10) scored once in the fourth, once in the fifth and once in the top of the seventh for a 3-1 lead but the Panther heroics came through in the bottom half of the frame.
With one out, Sheena Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) singled to center field and with one swing of the bat, catcher Lisa McGregor (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford Senior) tied the game with her second home run of the season. The Panthers weren't done, however, as pinch hitter Heather Connor (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) went deep to right center and over the fence for a walk-off home run, her fourth of the season.
Starting pitcher Christa Hunter (Sacramento, Calif./Hiram Johnson West) went 6.1 innings and allowed eight hits and three runs, two of which were earned, and struck out four. It was reliever Laura Belardinelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott), however, that picked up the win after retiring the only two batters she faced in the seventh. Belardinelli improved to 9-9 for the season.
The Eagles jumped to an early 1-0 lead in game two off of Belardinelli but the Panthers plated three runs in the third inning to take a two-run advantage. Leadoff hitter Valerie Mihalik (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) walked and moved to second with one out on an error by Boston College pitcher Michelle Daly that allowed Morgan Howard (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) to reach safely. Senior Casey Pickard (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart), who was honored on Senior Day prior to the beginning of Sunday's games, laced a two-run double to right-center field and scored on a single by Hunter.
Boston College tied the game with two runs in the fifth off of Belardinelli, causing coach Michelle Phalen to go to the bullpen for sophomore Meghan Bostick (Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine). Bostick shut down the Eagles' bats for the most part, allowing three hits in four innings and striking out seven batters to allow for Pitt's eighth-inning victory.
In that bottom of the eighth inning, Connor doubled to left-center field to lead off the inning. Freshman Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) flew out to right field and Connor tagged on the play. The ball scooted past third baseman Kristin Allain and Connor made her way towards home plate. She was tagged out but the umpires awarded her the final run because of interference by Allain after the ball had gotten past her.
The Panthers will now control their own destiny to secure the fourth and final spot in the Big East Championships. With Seton Hall, Notre Dame and Syracuse already in the field, the Panthers will need to win just one of two games to clinch the fourth spot. Pitt would hold the next tiebreaker over Villanova with a sweep over third-place Syracuse. Both the Panthers and Wildcats were swept by Seton Hall and Notre Dame, and Villanova earned a split with Syracuse.
