Pitt
Syracuse
Stevens Hits Her 10th Homer of the Season
5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 1, 2010
PITTSBURGH—Freshman Holly Stevens added another home run to her record-breaking season, as Pitt’s softball team earned the split with a 4-0 victory in game two of its doubleheader against Syracuse, at Trees Field, this afternoon. The Panthers improved to 25-21 on the year and 9-9 in the Big East, while the Orange slipped to 28-21 overall and 10-8 in the league.
On the first pitch to Stevens in the fourth inning, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the contest, as the current rookie home run record holder nailed her 10th homer of the year. Stevens became the first Panther since Samantha Card (2007-08) to hit more than 10 long balls in a season. She improved to third overall on the single-season home run list.
Steven’s hit scored junior Ashley Amistade, who was on base after singling to left field as the lead off in the inning.
Later in the sixth, Amistade scored with a single to centerfield from Stevens. In the next at-bat, junior Reba Tutt smacked a double that bounced off the top of the right centerfield wall and dropped in play. Tutt traded placed with Stevens, after Stevens moved to second on a passed ball.
In the top of the seventh, junior Alyssa O’Connell (11-11) struck out the final batter of the game to secure her third shutout of the season. O’Connell collected six strikeouts and allowed seven hits in the victory.
Stevens was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs in the contest, while Amistade was 2-for-3 with two runs.
The Panthers and Orange will end their series with a single game at noon on Sunday, May 2. Pitt will honor its seniors Megan Livesey and Kayla Zinger prior to the first pitch.
