Panthers spoil 6-3 lead in 8-6 loss

If the first pitch was any sign of how the rest of the game would go, the Panthers knew they… If the first pitch was any sign of how the rest of the game would go, the Panthers knew they were in trouble in the second game of the day.

Seton Hall shortstop Katie Pierce took a mighty swing at Panthers’ starting pitcher Laura Belardinelli’s first pitch and sent it over the left-center field wall, the first of many Pirate runs in Seton Hall’s 8-6 extra-innings win.

“We had this game, and we kept battling back. I really thought we were going to win it,” Panther head coach Michelle Phalen said. “We just didn’t put it together on defense in the eighth. But I feel like we still have a shot.”

Pitt’s first two runs came in the second inning when freshman outfielder Jessica Dignon smashed her first collegiate home run well over the left field wall off All-American pitcher Megan Meyer. Catcher Heather Connor had been walked and scored on Dignon’s home run, giving the Panthers their first lead of either game, moving the score to 2-1 in their favor.

“It felt really, really good especially because we were down by one,” Dignon said about her home run. “They had gotten a home run off the first pitch of the game so it felt really good to get the team back on the board and ahead in the game.”

The Panthers’ defense was solid in the top of the third. Junior second baseman Francesca DiMaria fielded two hard-hit balls at second and dumped them off to senior first baseman Casey Pickard for the first two outs of the inning. Center fielder Morgan Howard followed with a tough catch to end the inning.

Pitt added another run in the bottom of third when DiMaria led off the inning with a hit and moved all the way to second when Seton Hall second baseman D’arcy Djakalovic misjudged the ball and couldn’t control it. Howard then reached first on a bunt single to put runners at the corners for the Panthers with no outs.

In an effort to allow DiMaria to score, Howard attempted to steal second and got caught in a rundown with the Pirate defense just long enough for DiMaria to sprint home for Pitt’s third run of the game.

Seton Hall came back, however, with three runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the seventh to take the lead from Pitt and extend their lead to 6-3 with only a half of an inning left to play.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, DiMaria singled for her third hit of the game, and Howard used another bunt single to reach base safely, moving DiMaria to second in the process. Pickard sent a hard-hit ball bouncing up the middle, which the Pirates’ defense fielded and got Howard out at second. DiMaria, though, scored for the second time to cut Seton Hall’s lead to two.

Christa Hunter was then walked and replaced at first base by pinch runner Leanne McCarron. Panther outfielder Joey Scarf stepped to the plate and blasted the ball off of the right-center field wall and raced all the way to third for a two-run triple, tying the game at six.

The Panthers were unable to score any more runs in the bottom of the seventh, and like so many of their games this year have, this one also continued into extra innings.

“I think the loss hurts even worse,” Dignon said. “[Meyer] could be the best pitcher in the world and we hit her, we hit her very well today. We just made some mistakes on defense. There were some plays we should’ve made and then this game would’ve been ours.”

Seton Hall added two more runs in the top of the eighth inning before Belardinelli struck out Pirates catcher Christa Leighton for the final out of the inning. The sophomore struck out a season-high seven batters in her eight innings of work, but Pitt was unable to answer in the bottom of the eighth and watched the second game of the doubleheader slip away.

The Panthers’ doubleheader against St. John’s that was scheduled for Sunday was cancelled because of wintery weather conditions. The games will be rescheduled for a later date and time to be announced.

“I think we’re capable of making the post season. I felt like we were capable of winning both of these games today and Seton Hall is the toughest team in the conference,” Phalen said.