Softball: Panthers sweep Providence

The Pitt softball team picked up its first Big East win of the season this weekend, and the… The Pitt softball team picked up its first Big East win of the season this weekend, and the Panthers didn’t stop there.

Pitt started conference play 0-6 after being swept by the Big East’s two best teams in Louisville and South Florida. But the Panthers (20-17, 3-6 Big East) responded with a sweep of their own, picking up a trio of wins against the Providence Friars (13-21, 4-4 Big East).

Pitt 2, Providence 1

The Panthers finally got their first Big East victory in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader.

After struggling to score runs in its six previous conference games, Pitt got the bats out early.

The Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when senior Niki Cognigni smacked a double to score fellow senior Kristen Cheesebrew. Cognigni then scored another run thanks to a Providence error.

That was plenty of run support for freshman pitcher Savannah King and the Panthers defense.

Pitching a complete game, King conceded just a single run in the fifth inning. The Pitt fielders played an error-free game behind her to help the Panthers hold on for the vital win.

Pitt 5, Providence 4 (8 innings)

In Game 2 of the doubleheader, Pitt needed to come back from three runs down to win the extra-inning thriller.

Pitt freshman pitcher Alexa Larkin struggled for accuracy in the first inning, and the Friars took advantage of two walks to jump out to an early 3-0 lead.

Larkin settled down, and the Panthers chipped away at the deficit with one run in the second and fourth innings. Cheesebrew’s single in the sixth inning scored freshman Carissa Throckmorton and senior Kelly Hmiel, giving Pitt the lead.

The Panthers’ first error of the series allowed the Friars to tie the game in the seventh, but Providence returned the favor when an error in the eighth inning allowed Throckmorton to score the winning run.

Pitt 6, Providence 2

Pitt senior catcher Holly Stevens went 4-for-4 and crushed two home runs to help the Panthers finish the sweep with a convincing victory in Saturday’s series finale.

Cheesebrew scored the game’s first run in the second inning, and Pitt used three more runs on three hits in the third inning to build an insurmountable 4-0 lead.

Stevens finished off her perfect day and gave the Panthers some more breathing room with a pair of solo home runs in the fourth and seventh innings. She now has seven home runs this season.

On the mound, King struck out seven Friars as she pitched her second complete game of the series to improve her record on the season to 15-10.

The Panthers will try to pick up their first Big East home wins of the season when they host Georgetown for a doubleheader on Wednesday at the Petersen Sports Complex.