University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Georgetown
Softball Blanks Georgetown, 3-0
3/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 20, 2011
BOTETOURT, Va.–Senior Cory Berliner earned all-tournament honors, as she led the University of Pittsburgh softball team to a 3-0 victory over Georgetown in its Radford Invitational finale on Sunday at Botetourt Sports Complex. The Panthers won their 10th shutout of the season and improved to 17-6, while the Hoyas slipped to 5-10 on the year.
The Panthers completed the weekend at 4-1, which included three shutouts – Robert Morris (1-0), Delaware (2-0) and Georgetown (3-0). Senior Alyssa O’Connell was named the Co-Pitching MVP, while Berliner and junior Kelly Hmiel earned mention on the all-tournament team.
O’Connell was 2-0, collecting two shutout victories and limiting opponents to a .085 batting average. She threw her second one-hitter of the year against Delaware on Saturday and allowed just four hits in 15 innings of action. Her season ERA stands at a school record 0.69 with 42 strikeouts and a 6-1 record.
In today’s game, Berliner recorded her fourth win of the season and collected eight strikeouts to increase her yearly total to 36. With just one batter retired in the fourth, Georgetown loaded the bases with two hits and an infield error from the Panthers. However, Berliner ended the threat with back-to-back swinging strikeouts. She would also fan the first batter of the fifth and the final batter of the seventh to secure the victory.
Offensively, the Panthers scored a run in each of the odd innings. Getting things started, Hmiel was 3-for-4 with two RBI against the Hoyas. In her first at-bat of the game, Hmiel connected on her fourth double of the season. Senior Ashley Amistade scored the game-winner with that hit. Amistade was walked and stole second in the inning.
Later, Hmiel’s infield single in the third allowed Amistade to score her second run of the day. It was also Hmiel’s 25th RBI of the year. Amistade was walked twice and earned a single with a bunt earlier in the third.
Amistade also recorded two of the four stolen bases the Panthers swiped in the contest. She has 12 steals in 13 attempts on the year, while Hmiel and senior Ashlyn Zellefrow collected their fifth and second of the year, respectively.
Posting the squad’s third and final run of the day in the fifth, sophomore catcher Holly Stevens led off with a double to right centerfield. She moved to third with another infield single from Hmiel on the following at-bat. Next, Stevens tagged on a sacrifice fly to left field from junior shortstop Niki Cognigni.
Pitt also looked to add runs in the fourth when junior Yvette Bravo recorded her second double of the year. Instead the Panthers stranded three in the inning, as freshman Karlyn Jones singled and senior Reba Tutt was walked.
Pitt travels to Robert Morris for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 22, beginning at 3 p.m.
Score by Innings R H E
Georgetown 000 000 0 - 0 5 0
Pitt 101 010 X - 3 9 1
