Softball: Panthers go 3-2 over weekend at James Madison

In its final preparation before Big East play begins next weekend, the Pitt softball team (14-8)… In its final preparation before Big East play begins next weekend, the Pitt softball team (14-8) enjoyed a fourth-straight weekend with a winning record against stiff non-conference foes, finishing 3-2 at the James Madison Invitational.

Pitt 1, Fordham 0

Senior Kristen Cheesebrew’s solo home run in the third inning was all the scoring the Panthers needed to start the weekend with a win against Fordham on Friday morning.

Freshman pitcher Savannah King dominated in the pitching circle, improving her early season record to 10-4 as she allowed only three hits against the Fordham Rams.

But the result of the defensive struggle was in doubt until the final out.

Following a single and an error in the seventh and final inning, King was able to pitch out of the jam by recording a ground out and fly out as Pitt claimed victory.

Pitt 8, George Washington 5

The Panthers showed their ability to win offensive games, too, after prevailing in a Friday afternoon showdown with George Washington.

Pitt’s other freshman pitcher, Alexa Larkin, got the start, but she struggled early as the Colonials led 3-1 after the first inning.

Larkin held George Washington off the board in the second inning, and Pitt’s offense followed with four runs in the third and another in the fourth to stretch out to a seemingly comfortable 6-3 lead.

Larkin gave up two more runs in the fifth, narrowing the Panthers’ lead to 6-5, but a home run from senior Keli Gaynor and two scoreless innings by King ensured victory.

Fordham 5, Pitt 4 (11 innings)

Saturday’s games weren’t as kind to the Panthers as Friday’s had been.

The day began with a tough extra-inning loss to a Fordham team looking for revenge after Pitt’s win Friday against the Rams.

King took the mound once again, but this time Fordham grabbed the early lead, thanks to a home run.

Down a run, Pitt rallied in the final inning with hits from seniors Niki Cognigni and Yvette Bravo, putting the Panthers in a position to win the game. Cheesebrew’s single then scored Cognigni to tie the game at 1-1, but Pitt couldn’t force the winning run across as the tight battle went to extra innings.

The Rams finally made the decisive breakthrough in the fourth extra inning by tallying three runs. A Holly Stevens two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning gave Pitt hope, but it was not enough as the Panthers dropped the lengthy contest.

James Madison 2, Pitt 1

The Panthers dropped another close game as two errors in the final inning gifted James Madison a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon.

Larkin held the Dukes off the board until the fourth inning, when James Madison unconventionally stole home to grab the lead.

That lead only lasted an inning as freshman Maggie Sevilla’s single scored senior Ciera Damon to level the scores in a game that seemed headed for extra innings.

But the Panthers’ defense unraveled in the bottom of the seventh, as two errors in quick succession allowed the Dukes to snatch the 2-1 victory.

Pitt 9, George Washington 7

It took a massive comeback, but the Panthers concluded the weekend with a 9-7 win in another high-scoring affair with George Washington on Sunday morning.

A two-run home run from freshman Carissa Throckmorton gave Pitt the lead in the top of the first inning, but the Colonials came back in the bottom half with seven runs off King. It was the freshman hurler’s worst outing of the season.

Down five runs, the Panthers chipped away at the lead with runs in each of the next three innings before a Throckmorton single in the sixth scored Sevilla, giving Pitt the lead at 8-7.

With relief, Larkin picked up her fourth win of the season, allowing only two hits and striking out eight batters to let the Pitt offense complete its comeback.

The Panthers will now host St. Francis (Pa.) for two games on Wednesday before traveling south for the weekend to face the Louisville Cardinals in a key Big East series.