Softball: Pitt’s season ends after frustrating weekend

Heading into last weekend’s three-game series against Notre Dame, the Pitt softball team knew… Heading into last weekend’s three-game series against Notre Dame, the Pitt softball team knew that all it needed was one win to secure its place in the top eight of the Big East standings and earn a trip to the conference tournament.

But that win proved elusive as the Fighting Irish (36-13, 16-3 Big East) swept the Panthers (26-26, 8-14 Big East) in dominating fashion to bring Pitt’s season to a frustrating end.

After the series, Pitt senior infielder Ciera Damon said picking up the necessary victory was always going to be difficult against Notre Dame.

“It’s disappointing to go out with such a frustrating weekend and knowing we didn’t make the Big East Tournament, but Notre Dame is a really tough team,” she said.

This season marked the first time since 2009 that Pitt failed to qualify for the Big East Tournament in softball.

Notre Dame 5, Pitt 0

With a shutout victory from star pitcher Laura Winter in Saturday’s series opener, Notre Dame set the tone for all three games by showing that runs would be hard to come by for the Panthers.

A two-run single in the third inning off Pitt freshman pitcher Savannah King, who failed to add to her school-record 19-win season, gave the Irish the early lead.

The Panthers looked set to respond immediately in the bottom half of the inning after loading the bases with three consecutive singles, but junior catcher Holly Stevens lined out to end Pitt’s best scoring opportunity.

Notre Dame then added to its advantage with a run in the fourth and two more in the seventh, and only one more Panther reached base as Pitt dropped the opening game of a doubleheader.

Pitt head coach Holly Aprile believes that Notre Dame’s pitching staff was among the best the Panthers faced all season.

“It was a struggle all weekend,” Aprile said. “Notre Dame has some great pitchers, and we just couldn’t find a way to produce any runs. That’s what it came down to.”

Notre Dame 9, Pitt 1

Saturday’s second game went even worse for Pitt.

The Irish pounded out 15 hits against Pitt’s other freshman pitcher Alexa Larkin as they overwhelmed the Panthers for the second consecutive game.

After scoring a single run in the first inning, Notre Dame struck for five in the fourth inning to effectively end Pitt’s hopes of avoiding a nervous Sunday.

Pitt senior Kelly Hmiel finally scored her team’s first — and only — run of the weekend with a solo home run in the fourth that cut the deficit to 6-1, but her efforts weren’t nearly enough.

Notre Dame ended the game via the eight-run rule thanks to a three-run sixth inning that finished off the 9-1 Irish win.

Notre Dame 4, Pitt 0

In its last chance to earn a spot in the Big East Tournament, Pitt’s offense again failed to produce against Winter as the Notre Dame ace threw her second shutout of the weekend.

The Irish took a 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a walk and two singles, and they doubled their lead with a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

After recording just one hit in the first six innings, the Panthers’ first two batters singled to lead off the seventh and final inning. But Pitt’s season-long struggle to produce clutch hits plagued the team one final time, and two fly outs and a strikeout ended any hopes of a dramatic comeback.

Prior to the game, Pitt honored the eight-girl senior class, which will leave the program as the first group of seniors to never suffer a losing season.

Damon, Hmiel, Yvette Bravo, Kristen Cheesebrew, Niki Cognigni, Keli Gaynor, Amanda Heitmeier, and Jessica Rhodunda all played their final game for Pitt in Sunday’s season-ending defeat.

King said that she regretted that the team couldn’t pick up a victory on senior day.

“I felt bad that we couldn’t send those girls out with a win, and it’s disappointing not to make the Big East Tournament,” she said. “The seniors have been awesome all year with Alexa [Larkin] and I, so they’ll definitely be missed.”

Damon added that the members of the senior class were disappointed with how the season finished, but that they still left with heads held high.

“We had a great few years here at Pitt,” she said. “We didn’t quite meet the expectations we had for ourselves this year. But with the records we broke last year and everything, I’m still happy with how we leave the program.”