Panthers fail to muster a run in dropping four games

Two doubleheaders against Big East foes offered the Panther softball team an opportunity to… Two doubleheaders against Big East foes offered the Panther softball team an opportunity to advance in the standings.

The team came home, however, a little disappointed.

Pitt’s offense failed to score a single run in any of the four games, as the Panthers were shut out by scores of 5-0 and 8-0 to both the Bulls and Cardinals.

South Florida 5, Pitt 0

Missed opportunities plagued the Panthers in the first game of their doubleheader with the Bulls.

The Panthers’ offense didn’t provide much support for their starting pitcher, junior Laura Belardinelli. Belardinelli held the Bulls scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, but the Panthers couldn’t capitalize on ample scoring opportunities in the first three frames.

Pitt found itself with runners in scoring position in the first three innings but failed to score as it stranded a runner each time.

The missed opportunities continued as the Panthers left four other runners in scoring position in the final four innings and were shut out by South Florida’s starting pitcher Casey Cash.

Cash, who pitched 7.1 innings, didn’t overwhelm the Panthers — she only struck out two batters — but let Pitt put the ball in play and allowed her fielders to do the work as the Bulls didn’t commit an error all game.

That total team defensive effort carried over to the other side of the field for the Bulls as they overcame stranding nine runners with nine hits and four walks as a team.

The Bulls took the lead in the first when their leadoff batter got on with a single, stole second and was knocked in by a single to center. It turned out that run would be all the Bulls needed to defeat Pitt, but they added four more in the fifth inning to make it 5-0.

The Panthers had their best attempt at a rally in the ensuing inning as juniors Morgan Howard and Joey Scarf led off the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles.

Howard moved to third on a bouncing ball to the second baseman but wouldn’t score after a fly ball and a ground ball easily put away the Panthers who stranded two more runners.

South Florida 8, Pitt 0

The second game of the doubleheader picked up right where the first game ended.

In the first inning, the Bulls matched their first game total by touching up junior pitcher Meghan Bostick for five runs in the first frame.

The Bulls kept it going with two more runs in the second before Bostick was finally relieved of the pitching duties after three innings of work, allowing seven runs on six hits.

The early 7-0 deficit proved to be too much for the Panthers to come back from.

Their best scoring chance, however, came in the fifth as junior Sheena Hellon led off with a double to left field. Hellon advanced to third on Lisa McGregor’s grounder to short. Hellon failed to score after a strikeout and another groundball stranded her at third.

The Panthers four losses over the weekend dropped their record to 27-24 on the year and made them slip under .500 in the Big East with an 8-10 conference record.

Editor’s Note: Only the game scores of the doubleheader between Pitt and Louisville were available at press time. The Cardinals shut out the Panthers in both games, 5-0 and 8-0.