Softball sets school record in rout of Bobcats

While most students were lounging on the beach, Pitt softball played a multitude of games and… While most students were lounging on the beach, Pitt softball played a multitude of games and produced a variety of highlights over spring vacation.

After being swept by UNC-Charlotte in two games on Sunday, the Panthers (9-11) bounced back last Tuesday to beat Western Carolina in both games of their doubleheader.

In the first game, sophomore first baseman Mary Hecker and senior designated hitter Lisa McGregor had two RBIs each while starting pitcher Meghan Bostick threw a complete game to lead Pitt to an 8-3 victory.

The Panthers exploded offensively in the second game. Senior second baseman Francesca DiMaria paced Pitt with three hits and two RBIs. Junior shortstop Sheena Hellon added two hits and three RBIs of her own, and pitchers Laura Belardinelli and Christa Hunter held the Catamounts to one run on six hits to earn the 13-1 victory.

After dropping a 2-0 decision to Winthrop in the first game of a doubleheader the following day, Belardinelli and Hunter once again combined to allow only one earned run as Pitt triumphed in the second game, 9-3. McGregor had four RBIs in the contest, while Hellon led the Panthers with three hits.

Pitt then turned its attention toward the Winthrop Invitational, which ran Friday through Sunday. After losing a heartbreaking 1-0 game to East Tennessee State in which Bostick allowed no earned runs, the Panthers quickly bounced back to defeat UNC Greensboro later that day.

The combination of Belardinelli and Hunter proved effective once again as they allowed only two earned runs over seven innings of work. Sophomore third baseman Jessica Dignon led Pitt with two hits as the offense put up eight runs for a final score of 8-2.

On Saturday, Pitt pounded Ohio University for a school-record 15 runs in a 15-2 win over the Bobcats. DiMaria paced the Panthers with three hits on the day, while McGregor and Dignon each added two of their own. Hunter and Bostick held Ohio to just five hits in five innings.

“Getting that record was a lot of fun,” head coach Michelle Phalen said. “The girls hit the ball real well. It was nice to have control of the game.”

Pitt followed their record-setting performance with a 2-0 victory over Providence to advance to the championship game. Belardinelli and Bostick combined for the shutout while DiMaria and junior Joey Scarf scored the game’s only two runs.

Pitt struck first in their title game against host school Winthrop. Centerfielder Morgan Howard led off the bottom of the third inning with a single and then advanced to second base on an effective sacrifice by DiMaria. Scarf then lined a double into left centerfield that allowed Howard to come all the way home.

The Eagles responded quickly. With runners on second and third in the top of the fourth inning, designated hitter Laura Hill singled into left center to bring both runners home.

After a scoreless home half of the fourth inning for the Panthers, Winthrop added its final run of the game in the top of the fifth on a Tessa Thomas single to increase their lead to 3-1.

Pitt stranded two runners on base in the final three innings and was unable to tally another run of its own.

“They capitalized on their opportunities,” Phalen said. “When they had runners in scoring position, they had several key hits. We had runners in scoring position several innings and just couldn’t get those key hits.”

For their efforts, Bostick and Dignon were both named to the All-Tournament team.

“Meghan’s been throwing the ball really well,” said Phalen. “She’s been getting a lot of strikeouts.”

Pitt will return to action this Friday against Ohio State in their first contest of the Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio. The game is set to begin at 6 p.m.