Louisville Takes Series from Pitt

Sunday, May 3

Pittsburgh, Pa.

12:00 PM

Pitt

33-19, 11-13

Louisville

30-16, 16-7

Louisville

Pittsburgh

Louisville Takes Series from Pitt

5/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

May 3, 2015

Box Score | Season Stats

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh softball team (33-19, 11-13 ACC) ended its regular season with a heartbreaking, 9-4, loss to Louisville (30-16, 16-7 ACC) on Sunday at Vartabedian Field. After taking an early, 4-0, lead the Panthers held the Cardinals scoreless through five complete innings until Pitt let up nine runs between the sixth and seventh innings.

Louisville out-hit the Panthers, 11-7, tallying eight combined hits between the final two innings. Pitt recorded its multiple-hit innings early on in the game and chipped in just one hit in three of the four final innings.

"You will not be able to beat a good team when you don't have quality at-bats or good pitching on the mound," said head coach Holly Aprile. "It doesn't work just for three or four innings. You have to do it for all seven."

The game saw home runs from five total players, two of which were Panthers. Carly Thea knocked a three-run homer in the bottom of the first, giving Pitt its first lead of the game. Maggie Sevilla sent hers over in the bottom of the third, which would be the Panthers last run of the game.

It didn't take long for Pitt to earn an early, 3-0, lead. With two on and two out in the bottom of the first, Carly Thea took charge and crushed a high fly ball over the center field wall. The inning began with back-to-back outs by Pickett Sevilla, but two consecutive singles by Modic and Taylor set up Thea's three-run blast.

Just two innings later in the bottom of the third, the Panthers' increased their home run total once again, thanks to Maggie Sevilla's fifth homer of the season.  With one out, Sevilla tapped a long ball over the center field wall, to increase Pitt's lead to 4-0.

The Panthers held Louisville scoreless through five complete but in the sixth inning, the Cards earned three runs on four hits, including a two-run homer. Louisville led off with back-to-back doubles, the first from Whitney Arion and the second from Brittany Duncan. Duncan's double allowed Arion to score, plating the Cardinals first run of the game. Following a fielder's choice by Soles, which Duncan was thrown out on, Kristina Dillard stepped to the plate and hit a two-run shot to left field. This cut Pitt's lead to 4-3.

Louisville's bats didn't let up in the seventh inning as the Cards hit an additional two home runs to bring around six more runs, taking the game to its final score of 9-4. With one out, Maryssa Becker earned a walk and Arion singled to third base, to set up the first home run. Substitute pitcher, Shelby McCombs, stepped to the plate and sent the ball over the left center wall to clear the bases and give Louisville the lead 6-4. After that, senior Alexa Larkin took the mound for Kayla Harris. Larkin walked her first batter and a single from Sims put two on with just one out. Dillard went down swinging for the second out, but Smith notched the Cards final three runs of the game as she homered to center field. Jenna Modic then entered the game for Larkin. The final batter, Jones, lined out to second to end the game. 

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND
The Panthers will head to Blacksburg, Va., on Thursday, May 7, to take on Notre Dame in the team's first ever trip to the ACC Championships. The first pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. For all championship information visit the 2015 ACC Softball Championship page.

"We are certainly ready to bounce back and I know we can do that," said Aprile. "We wouldn't be in the position we are in if we couldn't. However, that was a game that we could have won if we were better in some areas." 

#H2P
For all things Pitt softball, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @PittSoftball, or visit PittsburghPanthers.com.