Panther softball splits four in Texas

Pitt softball (2-7) had a chance to gain momentum when it traveled down to Arlington, Texas,… Pitt softball (2-7) had a chance to gain momentum when it traveled down to Arlington, Texas, to square off with Texas-Arlington and Prairie View A’M. Although the weekend wasn’t a complete success, Pitt earned its first two victories of the 2007 season.

The Panthers clobbered Prairie View A’M, winning both matchups by 22 combined runs, including one shutout.

However, the team wasn’t as successful against Texas-Arlington, dropping two close games.

According to Pitt head coach Michelle Phalen, the losses were mostly because of poor defense and the lack of offensive production.

“We hit the ball well in game one but didn’t handle the ball defensively,” Phalen said. “[Texas-Arlington] is a good team, and you can’t beat good teams with poor defense.”

While the team looked better in their second weekend of competition, Phalen feels there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“We were not sharp this weekend, and that was disappointing,” Phalen said. “Fundamentally we are a very solid team. I expect we will play better over spring break and keep making progress.”

Texas-Arlington 10, Pitt 6

Texas-Arlington scored nine runs in the first four innings, and Pitt found itself trailing 9-0 before getting on the board.

The Panthers got their first run in the fourth inning when Alex Shoemaker poked a single up the middle to score Jessica Dignon. After a pair of wild pitches, Sheena Hellon brought Shoemaker home with a sacrifice bunt. An error by Texas-Arlington’s shortstop scored Heather Connor to cut the lead to 9-3.

Pitt struck again in the fifth when Hellon ripped a two-out double down the line to send two Panthers home. After a passed ball moved Hellon to third, Samantha Card singled up the middle to score Hellon.

Laura Belardinelli pitched 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits while striking out six.

Pitt 15, Prairie View A’M 1

The Panthers earned their first victory of the season in convincing fashion, scoring 15 runs for the first time since Mar. 11, 2006, against Ohio.

In her first at bat in a Pitt uniform, Megan Livesey got the first runner of the day home with a base hit to center field in the second inning. On the same play, two other Panthers reached home on a throwing error by Prairie View A’M third baseman Destiney Davis.

In the same inning, Hellon sent Livesey home with a single then scored with Joey Scarf off another error by Davis. Pitt added another run off a fielder’s choice and, after batting around the order, the Panthers had a commanding 7-1 lead.

Pitt batted around again in the third inning, adding five more runs. Three more were added in the fourth, and the game didn’t make it past the fifth on the mercy rule.

Overshadowed by the Panther offensive onslaught, senior Meghan Bostick allowed two hits and recorded 10 strikeouts, moving her to third on the career strikeouts list in Pitt softball history.

Pitt 8, Prairie View A’M 0

The Panthers wasted no time getting on the board. Hellon scored the first run off an error by Prairie View A’M pitcher Nikki Lilly in the first inning. Back-to-back doubles by Shoemaker and Connor followed, driving in two more runs.

Pitt added another off a wild pitch later in the first and another in the second on a fielder’s choice.

After an RBI single by Dignon, Shoemaker slapped her second double of the game into center field, scoring Dignon in the fifth. Shoemaker reached third on a wild pitch and scored the final run of the game on a fielder’s choice.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Shuster, in her first start of the season, earned her first career shutout in a Panther uniform, striking out six and scattering four hits.

Texas-Arlington 2, Pitt 0

Belardinelli gave up two runs on five hits in a complete game, but Pitt hitters knocked two hits in the game, leaving eight runners stranded.

The Panthers had their best chance of the game with a runner on third in the second, but Belardinelli and Valerie Mihalik struck out before Hellon grounded out to end the inning and the threat.

Arlington got on the board with a single to left in the third and added another off a home run over the left field wall in the sixth.