Softball falls in Championships

The Pitt softball team’s latest foray into the Big East Championships was an epic battle,… The Pitt softball team’s latest foray into the Big East Championships was an epic battle, featuring outstanding pitching, shoddy defense and extra-inning dramatics.

But it also ended in severe heartache.

The Panthers scored three runs in the first inning against DePaul in the quarterfinals of the Big East Championships Thursday but didn’t score again as the Blue Demons moved on with a game-winning single in the 11th inning, 4-3.

Despite the defeat, Pitt (31-25) soaked in the success of one of the best seasons in the program’s history.

The Panthers finished the season with 31 wins, their second 30-win campaign in the past three years. They also captured 12 Big East victories, the most in school history for one season.

Coach Michelle Phalen was proud of her club’s effort throughout the year.

“We had a pretty good season,” said Phalen. “We fought through some adversity early on and came out a stronger and more disciplined team in the end. I thought the seniors really pushed the team and kept us together and focused on going in the right direction.”

Still, Pitt is left to wonder what could have been after the loss to DePaul.

The Panthers offense mustered only four hits, two apiece by seniors Jessica Dignon and Mary Hecker. Two of those hits came in the three-run first inning.

“Honestly, we needed a few more hits,” said Phalen. “Offensively, we were quiet from the fifth or sixth inning on. We started to press at the plate and chased pitches out of the zone that really helped their pitcher.”

Pitt hung with the nationally ranked Blue Demons thanks to strong pitching performances from three different hurlers.

Sophomore starter Kayla Zinger left after 6 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits, three runs (one earned), four walks and one strikeout.

Junior Kaitlyn Schuster entered in a jam in the seventh inning and got the hitter to ground into a force play. She pitched two innings overall, allowing only one hit.

Freshman standout Cory Berliner pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, but gave up the final run.

All three Pitt batters struck out in the top of the 11th inning against DePaul pitcher Becca Heteniak, who pitched an 11-inning complete game.

Berliner walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the frame. After a stolen base, Blue Demon Marcy Wilus hit a single up the middle to bring home the winning run.

“We both had great defense and pitching,” said Phalen. “They were able to put the ball in play a little more than us, and that was the difference in the 11th [inning].”

Three Panthers runs crossed the plate in the first inning. Reba Tutt reached on a throwing error and advanced to second base. Ashley Amistade walked, and Dignon followed with an RBI single to center.

Junior Sam Card found herself on first after another DePaul error. Hecker singled to right field to plate Amistade and Dignon to put Pitt up by three.

But a key DePaul defensive stop halted Pitt’s chances of additional scoring. Pitt attempted a double steal, but Card was called out at home. Hecker was stranded at second base.

DePaul manufactured a run in the bottom of the first inning after having no one on and two outs. The Blue Demons drew even with the Panthers with a two-run second, aided by two Pitt errors. Both runs were unearned.

DePaul out-hit the Panthers 10-4.

Neither squad scored again until the fateful 11th inning. Hecker led off the fourth with a single, and Dignon copied the feat in the sixth, but the Panthers couldn’t move the runners past first base.

Dignon was the last base runner of the game for Pitt.

DePaul knocked off Connecticut and top-seeded South Florida to earn the Big East Championship crown.

Phalen placed the credit on her team for sticking with the powerful Blue Demons.

“I told them I was proud of the way they played and they are a great team,” said Phalen. “We came up a little short against a very good top-20 DePaul team.”

Card, Dignon and Zinger were honored by the Big East last week as well. Card and Dignon were named to the conference’s first team, while Zinger made the third team.

Pitt hopes to carry its successful season over to next season. The club returns all of its pitchers and graduates six seniors.