Card hits milestone to help end losing streak

With a home run in the second game of a doubleheader against Buffalo, Sam Card moved into… With a home run in the second game of a doubleheader against Buffalo, Sam Card moved into second on Pitt’s all-time home run list.

If she can hit four more homers, Card will tie Christa Hunter, who played at Pitt from 2003 to 2006, for first.

Card helped the Pitt softball team break one losing streak, and made sure not to start another one.

The Panthers ended a six-game losing streak with a win in the first game of a doubleheader against Villanova on Saturday,.

The Panthers (18-21, 4-12 Big East) then avoided starting another streak by winning sweeping Buffalo on Tuesday. Next, the team takes a road trip to New Jersey, taking on Seton Hall in a doubleheader on tomorrow and Rutgers twice the next day.

Pitt 2, Villanova 1

Villanova, 7, Pitt 5

Freshman Jessica Rhodunda ripped her first career triple with two outs in the fourth inning. Megan Livesey brought Rhodunda home with a double, putting the Panthers in front 1-0.

The Panthers scored again in the sixth inning after an Ashley Amistade ground ball drove in pinch runner Sara Falotico.

Villanova made a run at the Panthers in the bottom of the seventh. Danielle Maricle scored off Natalie Hord’s single to pull the Wildcats within one. However, they were unable to get any closer as a ground out from the next batter ended the game.

Pitt pitcher Cory Berliner recorded the win, allowing one run and five hits.

‘Berliner has been outstanding in her last few starts,’ said Pitt coach Holly Aprile.

The win moved Berliner’s record to 6-8, and she leads the team with a 1.83 ERA.

The Panthers fell in the second game to a hot-hitting Villanova team that recorded 15 hits while giving up just six.

‘I feel like we did a good job, but failure to make adjustments at the plate and put ourselves in a position to score some more runs hurt us,’ said Aprile.

Both the Panthers and the Wildcats scored a run in the first inning. In the second inning, Villanova took charge, scoring three runs off a Meghan Morese double. Pitt scored another run at the bottom of the inning off Amistade’s RBI triple, making the score 4-2 after three. Villanova extended its lead with a run in the fourth inning and two in the fifth.

Pitt 9, Buffalo 0

Pitt 5, Buffalo 0

Pitt gave up no runs in the doubleheader, mercy ruling the Bulls in six innings in the first game.

‘Against Buffalo we did a way, way better job. We made adjustments at the place where we needed to and that made us better hitting wise,’ said Aprile.

Freshman Ciera Damon started the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning, driving in two runs off her third home run of the season.

Yvette Bravo hit a homer of her own in the fourth inning, starting a four-run inning for the Panthers. A Card double and Niki Cognigni single knocked in the three more runs in the inning.

Kristen Cheesebrew’s double in the sixth inning drove in another three runs.

Berliner gave up two hits in the game, picking up her seventh win.

In the second game, the Panthers scored in the second inning when a Bravo single plated Card, who knocked in two runs of her own with her 19thcareer home run in the third inning.

Kayla Zinger recorded the win, giving up three hits in a complete game shutout.

‘Kayla did a great job on the mound. She was terrific today. She really hit her spots,’ said Aprile. Aprile said that when Pitt lost games, they’ve fallen behind after the opposition has one big inning.

A reason for the Panthers’ success against Buffalo was that Pitt didn’t allow this to happen, said Aprile.

‘I feel like we’re headed in a better direction right now,’ said Aprile. ‘We have good momentum heading into our second-to-last Big East weekend, which is an absolutely huge weekend for us.’