April 18, 2006
Box Score
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.-The University of Pittsburgh softball team dropped its doubleheader against Penn State at Nittany Lion Field, this afternoon. The Panthers fell 5-2 in game two and slip to 27-20 on the season.
Senior Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning. Leading off, DiMaria was hit by a pitch from Penn State's Ashley Esparza. She scored when the Lion's second baseman fielded sophomore Jessica Dignon's (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) ground ball and tried to throw her out at home instead of going for the play at first.
Pitt tied the ball game in the fifth inning, as sophomore Valerie Mahalik (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) rounded the bases from first, when junior Morgan Howard (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) reached base on an error by the first baseman. Mahalik and Howard kept running as the second baseman muffled the ball, as well.
However, a few two-out singles scored three runs for the Nittany Lions in the bottom half of the inning. Penn State took a 5-2 advantage into the sixth.
Pitt threatened in the seventh as DiMaria was walked and Howard singled with two outs on the board. Unfortunately, the Panthers popped up for the final out.
Esparza recorded two RBI off a two-out single up the middle in the third for Penn State.
Junior Laura Belardinelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) worked 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits in the loss for the Panthers. Freshman Kaitlyn Schuster (Ellwood City, Pa./Lincoln) saw action against three batters, fanning one.
Pitt resumes Big East action this weekend on the road at South Florida on Friday, April 21, at 2 p.m.
