University of Pittsburgh Athletics
A Look Back At Pitt's 2007 Softball Season
5/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 21, 2007
PITTSBURGH-Even though Pitt finished its 2007 softball campaign with a 23-35 record after falling in the first round of the Big East Championship, the Panthers set several school records and earned national rankings in several statistical categories.
Pitt's drive and determination were on display during the first round of the Big East Tournament. Even though Pitt dropped a 2-1 decision in nine innings, the Panthers proved they were going to keep pressing on when senior Heather Connor (Muhlenberg, Pa./Reading) perfectly placed a bunt that squeezed junior Valerie Mihalik (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) in for the tying run in the top of the seventh inning with one out on the board, following a USF pitching change.
The play that kept the Panthers alive in the tournament was just as exciting as the season that saw several team and individual records fall, and saw several members of the squad honored by the league, as Pitt picked up key wins to earn its second-consecutive BEC berth.
During the season, Pitt shined in its final Big East weekend, earning four straight eight-run victories over its opponents, Villanova and Rutgers, for the first time in school history.
Pitt also stole a team season record 117 bases, shattering its 2006 mark of 85. The 117 stolen bases ranked sixth in the nation in stolen bases, while senior Sheena Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) set three individual stolen base records and ranked 25th nationally. Hellon set school records for steals in a career (64), season (31) and single game (4). Along that same line, Hellon also set the mark for single-game RBIs when she drove in six runs against Seton Hall. She also holds program records for career at-bats (669) and is second all-time in runs scored (95) and RBIs (90).
Hellon earned a nod on the conference's weekly honor roll, as well, this year.
At the league's post-season banquet, junior Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) earned her second consecutive all-conference selection as a member of the All-Big East third team. She led the team in batting average (.311), hits (52), runs (33) and doubles (13).
Dignon tied the single-season record for doubles, last set by senior Joey Scarf (Humble, Texas/Humble) in 2006. She also ended the year ranked 33rd nationally on the NCAA's `hardest to strikeout' list. Dignon also earned Big East Player of the Week honors.
Another Panther that earned conference accolades this season was senior pitcher Meghan Bostick (Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine). Bostick, who was named Big East Pitcher of Week (March 12) and tallied weekly honor roll honors, recorded a season-high 118 strikeouts this season and moved into second place on Pitt's all-time career list for strikeouts with 456. She also tied her career high with 12 strikeouts against South Carolina.
Finishing her career as the school-record holder in career wins (44) and game appearances (127), senior Laura Belardinelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) earned her eighth win of the season against Kent State for sole possession of the wins record. Belardinelli also ranks second all-time on the innings pitched list, throwing 623 innings of work over her four-year career.
Improving to second overall on the all-time career list, senior Heather Connor (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) recorded 62 bases on balls in her career. This season she was walked 15 times. Connor finished her fourth season as the starting catcher for the Panthers with 281 putouts.
However, freshman Alex Shoemaker (Yorktown, Va./Grafton) led the team with 21 walks, tying for the fifth-best, single-season mark in school history. Shoemaker also tallied a season-high two triples and started all 58 games at second base.
In her first season, sophomore Samantha Card (Miami, Fla./Our Lady of Lourdes/Florida International) tied the fifth-best single-season mark for home runs with six. Card also posted 25 runs, seven doubles and 23 RBIs as the team's starting first baseman.
Appearing in 26 contests, freshman Kayla Zinger (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunnyslope) recorded six wins, pitched 120 innings and recorded 94 strikeouts, while sophomore Kaitlyn Schuster (Ellwood City, Pa./Lincoln) registered a team-high three saves this season.
Seven Panthers played in their final contest at the Big East Championships, while 12 others return for the 2008 season.
