Opposite Day — Softball drops two road decisions to Penn State

Pitt got close to taking both games of their doubleheader on Tuesday, but Jen Acunto made… Pitt got close to taking both games of their doubleheader on Tuesday, but Jen Acunto made sure they didn’t get close enough.

The Penn State shortstop came up with a pair of key hits as the Nittany Lions downed the Panthers by scores of 3-2 and 5-2 at Nittany Lion Field in University Park, Pa.

With the two losses, the Panthers’ record slipped to 27-20. PSU’s sweep bumps them to 27 wins of their own — they now sit at 27-11. The statistical similarities end there, as the Lions dominated in several key statistics.

For the two games the Panthers were out-hit 18-9 by the Lions while striking out 17 times as opposed to PSU’s 10.

The two Penn State pitchers only allowed two earned runs while the four pitchers that entered the circle for Pitt gave up seven combined earned runs.

The only area in which the Panthers outplayed the Lions was in the fielding department. Pitt only committed one error in the 14 combined innings while Penn State committed five. The Lions were able to overcome that, though, through timely hitting and strong pitching performances.

Penn State 3, Pitt 2

The Panthers got down early as Penn State struck first. A two-run second inning on three singles off junior pitcher Meghan Bostick put the Nittany Lions ahead.

Bostick, who struck out six batters in six innings of work, calmed down and managed to keep the deficit at two as she got out of a bases-loaded jam in the Penn State third.

The Panthers finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. Junior Heather Connor doubled a bomb over the left fielder’s head that scored senior first baseman Lisa McGregor, who had also doubled to left. The back-to-back doubles cut the deficit in half and gave the Panthers some momentum.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bostick retired the Lions’ 3, 4 and 5 hitters in order to set the table for the sixth inning for Pitt.

Joey Scarf started the inning with a single, but on Jessica Dignon’s double, got caught advancing to third. After a strikeout, Sheena Hellon stepped to the plate with two outs and Dignon still on second. Hellon hit a hard shot to the second baseman, who couldn’t handle it, allowing Dignon to score on the error and tie the game.

The two teams exchanged scoreless inning halves, setting up a 2-2 tie going into the bottom of the seventh.

Bostick allowed a single to start the inning and then walked the next batter. She was pulled by head coach Michelle Phalen, who replaced her with senior Christa Hunter. The first batter Hunter faced was Penn State’s No. 3 batter Acunto. Acunto — who had already singled twice in the game — doubled to center field for the game-winning RBI, and the Panthers’ comeback effort fell short.

Penn State 5, Pitt 2

After losing the heartbreaking first game, the Panthers had to bounce back for the second.

It seemed as though they were on track to do just that as they started the game with a run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers did so without a hit. Their leadoff batter, Francesca DiMaria, got hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a groundout. After an error by the second baseman, DiMaria crossed home plate to give the Panthers their first lead of the day.

The 1-0 lead lasted for two innings until Penn State got to Pitt starter Laura Belardinelli by scoring two runs in the bottom of the third.

Belardinelli settled down and retired the side in order in the fourth, and Pitt scored on another error to tie the game at two in the top of the fifth. Belardinelli couldn’t keep the score tied, though, giving up two consecutive singles and then an RBI double to Acunto in the bottom half of the inning.

The Lions ended up scoring three runs on four hits and one error in the frame. Those three runs would be all they needed. Pitt stranded three runners in the next two innings to close out the game, 5-2.

Pitt will look to rebound from the losses when they travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on Big East opponent South Florida for a weekend series.