Pitt
Seton Hall
Two Panthers Record Solo Shots in Win
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 24, 2010
PITTSBURGH—Pitt’s softball team held off a late rally in the seventh inning to record a 2-1 victory over Seton Hall, in the first game of their doubleheader, held at Trees Field, this afternoon. The Panthers improved to 24-18 on the season and 8-6 in the Big East, while the Pirates slipped to 17-24 overall and 6-9 in the league.
With the bases loaded and just one out on the board, the Panthers made an impressive stand to hold Seton Hall scoreless and secure the victory. First, senior Megan Livesey scooped up a groundball and sent it to freshman Holly Stevens at home for the forced out.
Junior pitcher Cory Berliner then caught the final batter swinging to end the contest. Berliner (11-5) gave up just three hits, and struck out seven in the ballgame.
Pitt notched both of its runs with a pair of solo homers. First, sophomore Niki Cognigni recorded her first homerun of the season with a shot deep over the left field wall in the bottom of the second.
Later in the third, junior Reba Tutt used just one pitch to blast her fourth homer of the year. Tutt’s hit sailed through center field, well out of the reach of the Pirates’ outfielder.
Earlier in the contest, the Panthers knocked on the door in the bottom of the first, as Stevens recorded a two-out single. On the next at-bat, sophomore Yvette Bravo would advance to base with a catcher’s obstruction call. However, both were left stranded in the frame.
Defensively, the Panthers were strong in the third and fourth innings. First, sophomore Kristen Cheesebrew recorded an out with a diving catch on a line that looked as if it was going to fall to the right side of second base. On the next at-bat, Stevens picked up a bunt that fell flat off the batter’s bat, and fired a shot at Cheesebrew, playing first, for the second out of the stanza.
In the fourth, Berliner caught two batters on strikes and Cognigni fielded a groundball for the final out of the inning.
Seton Hall’s run came in the fifth, as the Pirates’ second baseman scored an unearned run off an overthrown ball to first.
Game two of the doubleheader will begin shortly.
