Pitt
Notre Dame
Softball Drops Game One to No. 21 Notre Dame
5/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 4, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Junior Kristen Cheesebrew scored her 18th run of the season, however, the University of Pittsburgh softball team dropped an 8-1 decision to No. 21 Notre Dame in the first game of a doubleheader at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Panthers slipped to 31-15 on the year and 10-7 in the Big East, while the Fighting Irish improved to 40-8 overall and 15-1 in the league.
Pitt struck first in the contest, scoring an unearned run in the third inning. On an a rare play, Cheesebrew scored the first run of the game after Notre Dame’s Laura Winter was called for an illegal pitch. Cheesebrew was on third after she recorded a lead-off infield single. She moved to second on a passed ball during senior Reba Tutt's at-bat and went to third with outfielder Ashley Amistade's groundball.
Pitt recorded five hits in the game and left four runners stranded.
In the top of the sixth, it looked as if the Panthers were going to score three runs when junior Yvette Bravo was at the plate. Bravo stepped into a 1-2 pitch with two on and painted the right line with a bullet that was called out of play after it went over the fence. On the next pitch, Bravo sailed a fly ball out to left field that was caught by the Fighting Irish to end the threat.
Senior Alyssa O'Connell (13-4) suffered the loss on the mound. She gave up 12 hits in the contest, but walked just two and struck out three others. Five of the Notre Dame runs were earned.
The game was scoreless after two innings of action due to a defensive stand from Pitt’s infield. After a double bounced off the right field wall to put runners on second and third, junior Kelly Hmiel caught a pop up and scooped up a ground ball to end the inning.
Notre Dame took the lead in the bottom of the third with three runs off four hits. The Irish added four more in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-1 advantage in the contest. Notre Dame would add another insurance run in the bottom of the fifth off a single up the middle.
Amistade was 2-for-3 after she out-ran the throw on two infield singles. Hmiel was also 2-for-3 with three assists and a putout.
