Softball gets two shutouts

During spring break, the Pitt softball teams traveled to sunny Clearwater, Fla. for the… During spring break, the Pitt softball teams traveled to sunny Clearwater, Fla. for the UFS-Speedline Invitational. Senior Casey Pickard became Pitt’s all-time leader in hits with three on the first day of the Invitational to move her total to 135, but the Panthers won only two of five games, falling to 7-13 for the season.

Central Michigan 7, Pitt 4

Catcher Heather Conner hit her first home run of the season, but the Panthers dropped their fourth straight game after falling behind by six in the first two innings of the game.

By the top of the fourth, the Chippewas had added another run to push the score to 7-0. In the bottom half of the inning, Pitt turned on its offensive power and answered with four runs of its own.

After Conner’s home run, freshman Jessica Dignon reached base on an error, and Valerie Mihalik drew a walk. Jessica Thomas then moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt.

Junior Francesca DiMaria smacked a two-run single to cut Central Michigan’s lead to three, but that was where the Panthers’ offense stopped as they dropped their first game of the Invitational.

Illinois 6, Pitt 3

The Fighting Illini used a four-run fourth inning to extend the Panther’s losing streak to five games and drop their Invitational record to 0-2.

Pitt started the game with a 1-0 lead in the first inning when DiMaria hit a leadoff single and Christa Hunter followed with an RBI single. Hunter tied a career-best with three singles in the loss.

But the lead slowly disintegrated as starting pitcher Meghan Bostick gave up four runs to suffer her first loss of the season. Hunter came in to pitch and gave up two more runs. Down by four in the fifth inning, the Panthers were able to score two more on a single by Casey Pickard, but they couldn’t complete the rally.

Pitt 1, Costal Carolina 0

Pitt was able to snap a five-game losing streak by beating a strong Costal Carolina team with one RBI single by Hellon in the sixth inning.

After losing five in a row, head coach Michelle Phalen knew her team needed this win.

“We really need a boost,” she said. “Costal Carolina is a good team. They’ve beaten some tough competitors. This win really helped us.”

Hunter, pitching in her first complete shutout, allowed seven hits, gave up no walks and struck out two batters. This was only the Chanticleers’ second game of the season.

Southern Mississippi 12, Pitt 5

Seventeen hits and 12 runs proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome in a Friday afternoon loss to the Golden Eagles.

After three innings, the score was knotted at three, and competition was intense. An RBI single by catcher Heather Connor and a two-run double by Sheena Hellon gave the Panthers their three runs.

Southern Mississippi responded by scoring three more runs in the fourth and six in the seventh off of reliever Bostick to open up a commanding 12-3 lead. Pitt chipped two runs off the lead on another run-scoring single by Conner and an RBI double by Hunter, but could get no closer.

Pitt 1, Buffalo 0

For the second time during the weekend, Hunter threw a complete shutout, allowing Buffalo only three hits on the day.

The Panthers only needed three hits of their own to beat the Bulls, one of which was Hellon’s solo home run in the fourth inning, her first of the season and fourth of her career.

Pitt also used a double from DiMaria in the first inning and a single by Dignon on offense. Pickard recorded a season- and career-tying-best 16 putouts to keep Buffalo at bay.

The Panthers’ doubleheader scheduled for today has been cancelled because of inclement weather and unplayable field conditions. The games have not been rescheduled.

Pitt will return to action Friday through Sunday at the James Madison University Four Points Sheraton Tournament in Harrisonburg, Va. Pitt’s home opener is now scheduled for April 7 against St. Francis at Tree Field at 2 p.m.

“This is a big weekend for us,” Phalen said. “The girls are ready to push themselves.”