University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Youngstown State
Card Smacks Two Homers In Win
4/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 29, 2008
PITTSBURGH--Junior Samantha Card blasts two home runs and drives in six runs, as the Pitt softball team earns an 11-3 win over Youngstown State in six innings at Trees Field this afternoon. Pitt improved to 28-20 on the year, while the Penguins slipped to 11-32 on the year.
Card (Miami, Fla./Our Lady of Lourdes/Florida International) ended the game with a three-RBI strike to left field, earning her season-leading 12th homer of the season and second of the game. She is now three bombs shy of tying the single-season record of 15 and one short of tying the second-best career mark held by Christa Hunter (2003-06) at 19.
Card's home run also tied the single-game RBI mark of six, last set by senior Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) against Akron earlier this season. Recording runs in the sixth were Dignon and freshman Ashley Amistade (Washington, Pa./Trinity).
Card hit home run No. 11 on the season in the fifth, as the Panthers were clinging to a one-run lead. A two-RBI shot that hit a limb of the tree in right center field, she earned a RBI as Dignon scored.
On the play prior, Dignon drove in a run as Amistade scored her third run of the game. Amistade earned a lead-off walk and was stealing second when she was overthrown and moved to third.
The Panthers took an early lead with three runs in the opening inning. Scoring began as Dignon trickled a hit through the left side, allowing freshman Reba Tutt (Culpeper, Va./Highland) and Amistade to cross home plate.
Dignon then moved to third when the left fielder over threw her running to second base. Card's sacrifice hit would lead to a run by Dignon.
Later in the third, senior Mary Hecker (Roseville, Calif./Roseville) recorded a RBI with a one-pitch single to score Amistade.
Youngstown State scored with a one-out homer through center field in the third inning and two runs off three hits in the fifth.
Freshman Cory Berliner (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) earned her 16th win of the season, eclipsing the 2006 single-season record. She also improved to 144 strikeouts on the season, which is six shy of the third-best single-season mark held by Meghan Bostick (2006).
Additionally, junior Kaitlyn Schuster (Ellwood City, Pa./Lincoln) pitched the final two innings of the game, earning her first save of the year.
Amistade led the team with four runs, while Hecker tallied four assists at second base. On a great defensive play, Dignon ended the top of the sixth inning with a diving catch behind second in the grass.
