DePaul dominates Pitt softball

Pitt softball faced some of its toughest competition of the season April 1 when it traveled… Pitt softball faced some of its toughest competition of the season April 1 when it traveled to Chicago, Ill., to take on No. 18 DePaul.

The Panthers’ offensive woes led to them dropping both games of the doubleheader. Pitt dropped to 13-24 overall and 2-5 in the Big East.

Pitt struggled to get runners on base in the two contests as it tallied a combined three hits.

The Panthers just couldn’t catch a break and find any holes in the stingy Blue Demon defense, according to Pitt head coach Michelle Phalen.

“I felt good about our offense in the games vs. DePaul,” Phalen said. “We hit some hard shots that just didn’t fall. [Had more fallen], it could have easily changed the outcome of those games.”

Although the Panthers have lost their last four Big East games, they were all against undefeated conference teams and Phalen still thinks the team has a legitimate shot at making the Big East Tournament for the second consecutive year.

“We are playing good defense and our pitching is solid,” Phalen said. “I am confident in our hitters, we just haven’t been able to catch a break. We have a lot of games left, and we are prepared to make a run in the Big East.”

DePaul 7, Pitt 1

The Blue Demons struck early and often in the first of the two games at Cacciatore Field.

They scored two runs off a double to right-center by Jackie Tarulli-Fisher in the first and added another off a single in the second to make the score 3-0.

It took the Panthers five innings to erase the perfect game of DePaul pitcher Meghan Heteniak. Senior Heather Connor hit a single to left to spark the Panther bats.

After Rebecca Stottlemeyer came in to pinch-run for Connor, Valerie Mihalik ripped a triple to right to put the Panthers on the board. It was her first triple of the season and cut the deficit to two.

Pitt then went to the bullpen and brought in senior Laura Belardinelli.

In the fifth, DePaul brought the gap back up to three off a sacrifice fly and put the game away for good in the sixth with a two-run home run by Sandy Vojik.

The Panthers found themselves trailing 7-1 with one at-bat remaining.

Pitt loaded the bases in the final inning thanks to several DePaul mistakes, but the Panthers failed to capitalize and left all three runners stranded.

In two innings of work, Belardinelli gave up four hits and four earned runs, including the home run. Between Belardinelli and Meghan Bostick, who started, Pitt pitching surrendered eight walks.

DePaul 3, Pitt 2

Pitt got off on the wrong foot once again in the second game of the doubleheader as it surrendered a two-run home run to DePaul’s Tracie Adix in the second inning.

The Blue Demons went on to get another runner home in the third, capitalizing off an error by second baseman Alex Shoemaker. Pitt found itself in a situation similar to the first game, trailing 3-0.

In the next inning, the Panthers got their first runner in scoring position of the game when Sheena Hellon stole her 52nd career base after reaching on a fielder’s choice.

The next batter failed to bring Hellon home, but Samantha Card followed with a blast. She got a hold of one and gave it a ride over the center-field wall to cut the deficit to one, making the score 3-2.

It was her second home run of the season and Pitt’s eighth as a team.

That went on to be the only hit in the contest for the Panthers. The next nine batters for Pitt were retired in order.

Freshman pitcher Kayla Zinger had a good outing for the Panthers, surrendering only two earned runs on five hits. The loss dropped her to 5-9.

Pitt played a doubleheader yesterday at Buffalo. The Panthers host Syracuse Saturday. The doubleheader begins at noon at Trees Field.