Panthers end hot, play another day

After wrapping up the regular season over the weekend, the Pitt softball team has something to… After wrapping up the regular season over the weekend, the Pitt softball team has something to look forward to: more games.

With a school-record 12 Big East wins on the year, the Panthers (31-24, 12-10 Big East) qualified for the Big East tournament for the third straight season.

Since the end of the semester, the team went 7-7, the most recent of the matchups being a split of a double-header against No. 23-ranked DePaul.

The Panthers now face that same Blue Demon team in the first round of the Big East tournament tomorrow in Louisville, Ky., at 12:30 p.m.

Pitt 5, Seton Hall 4

The Pirates scored in the top of the first inning to take an early lead, but a solo home run by Reba Tutt in the bottom of the third knotted it up.

Seton Hall bounced back to take a 4-1 lead with three more runs in the top of the fifth, but that lead wouldn’t last long.

In the bottom of that inning, a single from Jessica Dignon drove in Tutt and a three-run homer by Mary Hecker gave Pitt the 5-4 advantage and the win.

Pitt 5, Seton Hall 2

The Panthers swept the Pirates thanks in part to Sam Card, who went 3 for 3 on the game with a solo home run, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Kayla Zinger pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on five hits.

Pitt 5, St. John’s 2

It was a record-tying day at Trees Field when Cory Berliner earned her 15th win of the year to tie the school record.

Berliner is also the first pitcher in school history to win more than 11 games as a freshman.

The Panthers earned their 10th Big East victory, also tying a school record.

Another Card home run drove in two in the first inning, while Berliner went the distance, only giving up two runs on six hits.

St. John’s 2, Pitt 0

Zinger pitched another complete game, giving up two runs on 10 hits over seven innings, but this time ended up on the losing end.

An RBI-single in the fourth inning and a solo home run in the sixth were the only runs scored during the game.

Syracuse 5, Pitt 3

The Panthers dropped the first game of their doubleheader, it didn’t come without some good. In the loss, Dignon set a school record by hitting her 42nd career double.

After falling behind by one, the Panthers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning but couldn’t hold on.

The Orange added two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth to earn the 5-3 win.

Syracuse 2, Pitt 1

Despite a late-game threat by the Panthers, the Orange completed the sweep.

With one out in the seventh, Megan Livesey doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. Kelly Stiles then hit a rocket deep to left, which bounced off the tip of the outfielder’s glove and barely stayed in the park, resulting in a double.

Livesey scored to cut the deficit in half, but Stiles was stranded at second to end the game.

Pitt 11, Youngstown State 3

Backed by two home runs from Card, the Panthers easily disposed of Youngstown State.

Card hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to give Pitt some cushion on its one-run lead, then blasted a three-run shot in the sixth to help put the game out of reach.

Card finished the game with two hits, as did Hecker and Kelly Murphy. Dignon went 3-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Pitt 8, Youngstown State 2

The Panthers completed the blowout sweep thanks to a complete-game four-hitter from Alyssa O’Connell.

It was the freshman’s first career victory.

The Penguins’ two runs came on a homer in the first, but O’Connell settled down, shutting them out the rest of the way while only giving up two more hits.

The Panthers tied the game in the fourth on a two-run single from Murphy before taking the lead the next inning when Tutt scored on an error.

St. Francis 6, Pitt 0

The Panther offense was nowhere to be found in the opening game of a doubleheader against the Red Flash.

Card had two of the Panther’s five hits on the game.

St. Francis 5, Pitt 4

In a more closely contested game, the Panthers were swept after pushing the game to an eighth inning.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, a home run by Dignon tied the game, but St. Francis scored one run on two hits in the eighth for the win.

Tutt homered in the fifth and Hecker followed with a blast in the sixth.

Notre Dame 1, Pitt 0

A solo home run by Christine Lux in the top of the fourth inning was all the Fighting Irish needed for the victory.

Brittney Bargar held the Panthers to just three hits over seven innings in the win.

Pitt 4, Notre Dame 2

Zinger led Pitt to victory both on the mound and in the batter’s box in the second game of the doubleheader.

The sophomore pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits, then drove in the two go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

It was the Panthers’ first career-win against Notre Dame.

DePaul 4, Pitt 1

Pitt’s lone run was scored in the fourth inning when Hecker doubled, driving in Ashley Amistade.

It was senior day at Trees Field, and the Panthers honored Dignon, Hecker, Valerie Mihalik, Murphy, Stiles and Rebecca Stottlemyer.

Pitt 7, DePaul 3

In their final regular season game, the Panthers earned their first win over DePaul and their fourth win over a ranked opponent this season.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Panthers scored five runs to pull out the win, 7-3.

Amistade scored on a single by Card to tie the game, then Dignon scored on a single from Livesey.