Softball Upends USF In Big East Tournament

Saturday, May 13

South Bend, IN

3:00 PM

Pitt

USF

Softball Upends USF In Big East Tournament

5/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

May 13, 2006

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Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind.-Worth the Wait! After being delayed two days at the Big East Championships, the University of Pittsburgh softball team upset No. 25 USF in its first-ever postseason game, this afternoon, at Ivy Field. Junior Sheena Hellon tallied her sixth homer of the season to lead Pitt to a 2-1 victory.

"History was made," said head coach Michelle Phalen. "This was our first-ever postseason game and we won it. It was also our first-ever victory over a ranked opponent and I am very proud of this team and everyone's efforts."

Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) recorded the Panthers' first hit of the game with a two-run long ball to left field. Junior Morgan Howard (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) was on second after being hit by a pitch by USF's Bree Spence and scored the first run.

"When I hit it I wasn't even expecting it to go that far," said Hellon. "I just wanted to hit it far enough for Morgan to score, so when it kept going my mouth dropped. After I crossed home plate I was excited, but I also realized that there were three more innings to play and I had to play defense."

On the defensive end, Hellon also tallied three assists, which were all instrumental to holding off the Bulls. In the second inning USF recorded a lead-off double. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, but sophomore Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) caught a foul ball for the second out and Hellon gunned down the final out with a toss to first.

The Bull's Christie Chapman tallied a lead-off homer down the right foul line cut the Panther's lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. USF had the opportunity to score again when the Bulls blasted two singles up the middle off junior Meghan Bostick (Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine). Senior Christa Hunter (Sacramento, Calif./Harim Johnson West) took over on the mound and threw a wild pitch to place runners at second and third, but Hellon ended the inning, scooping up a groundball to short stop.

Pitt's defense stepped up through the rest of the game to keep USF from sending a runner home. They were immediately tested in the next inning with runners at the corners and just one out. Hunter, then, caught a batter looking for her second strikeout, as she painted the outside box for the second out and Dignon fielded a ground ball two pitches later to close out the inning.

Later in the sixth inning, sophomore Mary Hecker (Roseville, Calif./Roseville) garnered an out at first by stretching to catch a pass from senior Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour). On the next play, DiMaria ran out to shallow right field (over a small puddle) and caught the final out over her shoulder.

With momentum on the Panther's side in the seventh, Pitt had an opportunity to add some runs to the board when both junior Heather Connor (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and senior Jessica Thomas (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) hit back-to-back singles. After an out, DiMaria got a fielder's choice when the first baseman threw Connor out at home, but DiMaria was also out on the play when she tried to get an extra base. Pitt retired all three of the Bulls in order to earn the win.

Hunter improved to 6-2 after coming in for relief in the fourth inning. Pitt improved to 32-26 with the win, while USF slipped to 47-23.

Pitt faces Notre Dame at noon on Ivy Field in a semifinal contest. The winner of that game will then face the winner of the Louisville-DePaul matchup at 3 p.m. for the Big East title.

Score By Inning                                 R  H  E

Pittsburgh                   000 200 00 -   2   5   0

South Florida              000 100 00 -   1   6   1

Notes:

This was Pitt's first-ever postseason game and a win over a ranked opponent.

Pitt broke its record for games in a season with its game against South Florida, this afternoon. The previous mark was 57 games set in 2004.

The Panthers are in the midst of a four-game win streak.