Pitching keeping Pitt alive

The Pitt softball pitching staff gave up no more than five runs in a game this season. Those… The Pitt softball pitching staff gave up no more than five runs in a game this season. Those five runs, which came in a loss to UNC-Charlotte, took 12 innings for the opposing team to earn. And even though Pitt (9-9) hasn’t been completely consistent with the bat, that type of pitching and defense continues to help the Panthers stay in games. ‘We’ve pitched exceptionally well and played defense very well for the most part,’ said first-year Pitt coach Holly Aprile. ‘We’ve been in every game that we’ve played and never had to overcome some huge deficit.’ Three pitchers, Cory Berliner, Kayla Zingler and Alyssa O’Connell, have been on the mound for the bulk of the innings this season. Berliner is 3-4 on the season with an ERA of 0.93. Zingler is 2-4 with an ERA of 1.13, and O’Connell is 4-1 with an ERA of 1.17. If these ERAs could translate to the major leagues, all three would have multi-million-dollar contracts Earlier this season, Berliner pitched a one-hitter against George Washington. She gave up the single hit in the sixth inning and walked one batter. Aprile said that since the pitching is there, the Panthers need to work on their play offensively to give the defense a little support. ‘We just need to come around a little more offensively,’ said Aprile. ‘We are looking for our bats to come alive a little bit as we move into the second half of the season.’ Aprile commended freshman second basemen Kristen Cheesebrew for her offensive abilities, as well as her play in the field. ‘She had a really good tournament in Charlotte. She’s been great at the plate and in the field,’ said Aprile. Cheesebrew’s batting average is .267. Third basemen Ciera Damon leads the team, batting .289. The Panthers last played in Charlotte, where they dropped a double header to UNC-Charlotte. O’Connell’s first and only loss of the season came in the second game, when the Panthers fell in the 12-inning contest. Cheesebrew hit two home runs in the loss, becoming just the seventh Panther accomplish the feat. The Winthrop Invitational, set to take place over spring break in South Carolina, was rained out. As for the rest of the season, Aprile said the Panthers are trying to stay in the moment. ‘We have a general goal of getting 1 percent better everyday, so we are never going backward or taking a step in the wrong direction,’ said Aprile. However, the Panthers start Big East play on March 20, and Aprile said one of the team’s broader goals is to qualify for the Big East tournament in May. Last season, Pitt was the No. 7 seed in the tournament and fell in the first round.