Struggles at the plate, combined with a powerful hitting performance from Penn State, spelled… Struggles at the plate, combined with a powerful hitting performance from Penn State, spelled doom for Pitt in a 7-2 loss to open the doubleheader. Penn State reeled off 14 hits in the game, while loading the bases three times.

“We get stuck in a hole, and we can’t get out of it,” head coach Michelle Phalen said. “And our hitting is just bad right now.”

Penn State lit up the scoreboard in the first inning with the bases loaded and one out. Center fielder Leigh Murray stepped to the plate and belted a two-run single off Pitt starter Laura Belardinelli into a gap for a quick 2-0 lead.

The Nittany Lions’ next four runs came on deep home runs, the first courtesy of third baseman Destinie Chavez. Leading off the second inning, Chavez took a low fastball just over the blue wall and the outstretched arm of outfielder Joey Scarf for a solo home run.

In the third inning, Murray stepped to the plate again, this time with runners on the corners. She upped her RBI total to five on the day by blasting a three-run shot over the wall, giving Penn State a comfortable 6-0 cushion.

“Penn State is a good team, they hit the ball just like Notre Dame [did] on Saturday,” Phalen said.

With plenty of run support, Penn State ace Missy Beseres, who entered the game with 122 strikeouts on the season, shut down the Panther bats. The redshirt senior fanned 13 Panthers on the day, including a stretch of five in a row, while holding Pitt to five hits on the day.

Panther first baseman Casey Pickard ended the shutout by hitting a Beseres pitch out of Trees Field with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. Only one more Panther would cross the plate on the game when a single by Scarf scored pinch runner Rebecca Stottlemyer in the bottom of the seventh.

Belardinelli took the loss for Pitt, allowing six runs on six hits in three innings of work. Meghan Bostick relieved her, but was tagged with eight hits of her own in four innings. Despite the rough showing, Belardinelli pointed to the struggles as something Pitt can learn from.

“I think it’s important for us to learn from our mistakes,” the sophomore said. “We [can’t] forget about this game, but move forward from it and not let it totally overcome the rest of our season. We just need to go forward and play our top game this weekend.”

FOR GAME TWO, READ: GAME TWO ENDS AFTER FIVE INNINGS WITH MERCY RULE