Softball drops three of four games on road trip

A four-game road trip dropped the Panthers under the .500 mark overall and in Big East… A four-game road trip dropped the Panthers under the .500 mark overall and in Big East Conference play last weekend.

The Panthers (17-19 overall, 2-4 Big East) traveled to Jamaica, N.Y., and dropped the first two games of their journey to the St. John’s Red Storm in a doubleheader. Pitt then traveled to Seton Hall and won the first game of a twinight doubleheader in 10 innings, but dropped the nightcap.

St. John’s 2, Pitt 1

Pitt led St. John’s until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Red Storm (16-18, 3-3) put together a two-run sixth inning. The Red Storm’s Alesha Argeras reached on a one-out single, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Allina Sainz.

Argeras moved to second on the play and moved to third on a two-out single by Jullian Sandoval. Jo Sherlock battled Panthers’ pitcher Nikki Gasti as she fouled off several pitches before doubling in Argeras and Sandoval, which gave the Red Storm a 2-1 lead.

The Panthers drew first blood with an RBI single by Hulpa in the top of the fourth inning. Hulpa’s single drove in Casey Pickard who doubled earlier in the inning. Pickard advanced to third on a wild pitch.

St. John’s 8, Pitt 4

The Red Storm got things rolling early as Megan Oliver scored a run in the first inning, giving them a 1-0 lead. Oliver led off with a single to left field and moved to second base on a passed ball. Jessica Shepherd advanced Oliver to third on a sacrifice bunt and she came around to score on an RBI single by Argeras.

Pitt tied the game in the top of the fourth inning as Francesca DiMaria led off the inning with a triple to right center field. DiMaria scored on a passed ball, which tied the game at one.

In the bottom of the fourth, St. John’s answered back as it erupted for five runs on four hits. Sherlock reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second base on Jessica Marical’s sacrifice bunt.

Linda Reyes reached on an infield single and Sherlock reached third base safely. Jessica Cameron beat out a bunt and Sherlock scored. Argeras followed Oliver and Shepherd, who both walked with a double. Oliver and Shepherd scored on the double giving the Red Storm a 6-1 lead.

The Panthers came up with two runs in the top of the sixth as Hulpa hit a two-run double, which scored DiMaria and Pickard. But St. John’s added two more runs in the bottom of the inning making the score 8-4.

Pitt 4, Seton Hall 1

Christina Shanko of Seton Hall no-hit the Panthers until the sixth inning during a game that went into extra innings. The Panthers were down 1-0 in the top of the sixth when DiMaria tied the game at one with a double, which plated Angela Blackmon.

Seton Hall (19-7, 5-2) got on the board in the first inning with a solo home run to center field by the Pirates’ first baseman Laura Taylor.

The score would stay knotted at one until the top of the 10th inning. Pitt finally broke Shanko as it got an RBI single from DiMaria and a two-run home run to center field from Hulpa making the score 4-1.

Gasti also went the distance on the mound, giving up one run on three hits while walking four and stricking out 11 batters.

Seton Hall 9, Pitt 2

Seton Hall rebounded in the nightcap as it amassed 13 base hits. The Pirates scored six runs through the first three innings.

Janelle Pepe was on the hill for the Panthers and gave up two RBI singles in the first inning, putting Seton Hall ahead 2-0.

The hitting barrage continued as the Pirates’ McKenzie Richards had an RBI double and scored on a D’arcy Djakalovic single, making the score 5-0.

Anne Leone knocked in Seton Hall’s sixth run of the game with an RBI single.

Leone knocked in two more runs with a double in her next at bat in the fifth inning. The Pirates tacked on their ninth run with another RBI single by Richards.

Pitt is next in action at home in a makeup doubleheader on Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m.