University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Rutgers
Kelly Stiles Records First-Career Grand Slam
4/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 29, 2007
PITTSBURGH-Junior Kelly Stiles recorded her first-career grand slam to end game one in six innings against Rutgers, as three Panthers tallied home runs to life the Pitt softball team to a 10-1 victory at Trees Field, this afternoon. The Panthers improved to 21-31 after honoring its seven seniors, while the Scarlet Knights slipped to 20-29 on the year.
Pitt had a 6-1 lead with the bases juiced and zero outs on the board when Stiles (Thurmont, Md./Catocin) stepped to the plate to pinch hit in the bottom of the sixth. Stiles then sent her first bomb of the season to right field for her first-career grand slam. With a nine-run lead the Panthers earned their third consecutive mercy-rule win of the weekend.
The inning began as the wind got a hold of a long triple to left field for freshman Alex Shoemaker (Yorktown, Va./Grafton). Shoemaker scored after sophomore Samantha Card (Miami, Fla./Our Lady of Lourdes/Florida International) tallied a hit to left field for her 19th RBI of the season.
Junior Valerie Mihalik (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) drove Card in after a single to center field. Senior Kim Stiles (Thurmont, Md./Catocin/Vermont) then pinch hit and recorded a short single to center field for her first hit of the season, while senior
The Panthers ended the pitching dual in the fourth inning, as Mihalik tallied her second home run of the season when she sent a 3-1 pitch over the center field wall. Junior Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and Card scored on the play giving Mihalik three RBIs in the inning.
Mihalik also earned another stolen base in the game, making her 12-12 on the season.
The Panther's second homer of the day came from senior Sheena Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) when she hit a solo shot through center field, earning her fifth homer of the season.
With runners on the corners and just one out on the board in the sixth inning, senior Meghan Bostick (Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine) fanned a batter looking on before giving up Rutgers lone run of the game. On the next at bat with runners in scoring position again, senior Joey Scarf (Humble, Texas/Humble) made a great running catch on a fly ball to end the inning.
Bostick pitched the full six innings and struck out four batters, as she improved to a team-leading 8-7 record on the season.
Score by Innings R H E
Rutgers 000 001 - 1 6 2
Pitt 000 316 - 10 9 0
