Lady Luck leaves Pitt alone in Vegas

The Pitt softball team ventured out to Las Vegas this weekend but returned without Lady Luck… The Pitt softball team ventured out to Las Vegas this weekend but returned without Lady Luck on its side.

The Panthers dropped four out of five games spread across three days in the UNLV Eller Media Classic.

Pitt emerged victorious against Western Kentucky in its first Saturday contest but fell to California, Long Beach State, Hawaii and host UNLV.

The 1-4 weekend drops the Panthers’ overall record to 7-6. Pitt started the season with four consecutive triumphs and as the overall winner of the Florida International Tournament. But six losses in nine games have dampened the team’s hot start.

Coach Michelle Phalen could not be reached for comment.

The competition was fierce in the weekend tournament. The overall record of the four teams Pitt lost to is 48-24-1. Hawaii, the Panthers’ final opponent, is ranked No. 15.

Defensive issues plagued the Panthers throughout the five affairs. Pitt tallied a total of 17 errors in the tournament, recording at least two in every game. The 8-1 loss to Hawaii featured five mishaps and four unearned runs.

The pitching was affected by the errors as well. Pitt gave up 31 runs in the five games, but only 13 of those were earned.

Freshman hurler Cory Berliner suffered her first two defeats of the season but still pitched well in her three trips to the mound. Berliner lost a tough 3-2 decision to California as well as the 8-1 setback to Hawaii, but she didn’t give up an earned run in a 2-1 victory over Western Kentucky. She also finished two of the three games she started.

Berliner is now 5-2 on the season.

Pitt totaled nine runs and 26 hits for the weekend. The maximum of each category occurred in the loss to Long Beach State, with the Panthers scoring three runs and tallying nine hits.

In the first game of the tournament, California beat Pitt in devastating fashion, 3-2.

With Pitt down one in the top of the seventh inning, Ashley Amistade reached on an error and promptly stole second. Center fielder Reba Tutt singled to left field to plate Amistade and even the score at 2-2.

But the Panthers couldn’t force extra innings. A two-out single by Sanoe Kekahuna got the Golden Bears on the bases. Julie Meyer hit a fly ball to left field that was dropped, leading to Kekahuna crossing the plate for the winning run.

Things didn’t get much better for Pitt in Friday’s second contest, a 12-1 defeat against host UNLV in five innings.

Pitt took a quick lead in the top of the first on an unearned run of its own. Tutt reached on a throwing error to start the game and, after a sacrifice bunt, scored on a single by catcher Sam Card.

UNLV evened the score in the bottom of the first and pulled away after notching four runs in the second and six more in the third.

Pitt only managed three hits against the Runnin’ Rebels.

The Panthers recorded their only win of the weekend thanks to some power in a 2-1 victory over Western Kentucky Saturday.

Down after an unearned run in the first inning, Pitt pulled even in the fourth when Card slammed a home run to center field that bounced off the top of the fence and went over.

Senior Mary Hecker secured the final score by hitting a home run of her own in the sixth, a blast to left-center.

Berliner was dominant in the contest, striking out six in a complete game. The freshman escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, getting the final batter to line into a double play.

Pitt’s fourth game ended in a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Long Beach State.

The 49ers grabbed a 7-0 advantage before the Panthers were able to collect a run. Pitt scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the final tally.

No. 15 Hawaii ensured its 8-1 victory over Pitt on Sunday with a dominating pitching and defensive performance.

Hawaii recorded 13 hits and didn’t commit an error while pitcher Kate Robinson struck out 10 Panthers.

Pitt’s only run came on another home run by Hecker, her second of the weekend. Hecker went 3 for 3, with three of Pitt’s four hits on the game.

The Panthers look to rebound this coming weekend in the University of Kansas Tournament in Lawrence, Kan. Pitt will square off against Kansas, Indiana State and Western Illinois.