Softball wins doubleheader vs. Youngstown State

Never give up.

That is the message that head coach Michelle Phalen has been preaching all… Never give up.

That is the message that head coach Michelle Phalen has been preaching all season to her softball team.

In its first home games of the season, the Pitt women’s softball team used late-inning heroics and solid hitting to sweep a doubleheader against Youngstown State University at Trees Field Tuesday afternoon.

“I told our team today that we needed to play like we own the place, and that today was a good time to start a streak,” Phalen said.

Youngstown State jumped to an early 2-1 lead, but at the bottom of the second inning, Panther catcher Tiffany White belted a solo home run to knot the game at two.

In the fourth inning, the Penguins used a leadoff double to the gap in right center field by Lacey Reichert to put a runner in scoring position with no one out. A sacrifice bunt moved Reichert to third. Following a groundout to shortstop Ana Velazquez, the Penguins plated Reichert on a double by Char Kudlock to the same right center field gap, giving Youngstown State the 3-2 lead.

Pitt answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning with a bloop single by Jessica Thomas. Natalie Phillips replaced Thomas at first in as a pinch runner. Phillips advanced to second on a bunt single, giving the Panthers runners on first and second base with no one out.

After an unsuccessful bunt attempt to advance the runners, Pitt capitalized on a passed ball to move its runners to second and third with one out. Francesca DiMaria lifted a pitch to deep right field to score Phillips on a sacrifice fly and tie the game at three.

The Penguins wasted no time in regaining the lead when in the top of the sixth inning Liz Holt sent a pitch from Panther pitcher Janelle Pepe over the left field fence, giving YSU the one-run lead.

Following a pitching change for Pitt, Youngstown State picked up in the top of the seventh to add a run off Nikki Gasti with two outs in the inning.

It was in the top of the seventh inning that Panther third baseman Kelly Hulpa began to find her groove. On defense, Hulpa recorded all of the putouts for Pitt, including a catch falling into the stands and a running catch in front of home plate to keep the Penguin base runners from advancing.

Needing two runs to tie and three to win, Pitt came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Velazquez drew a leadoff walk and was moved up to second base on a swinging bunt by Missy Smith. DiMaria followed with an RBI single and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Penguin left fielder. Casey Pickard moved DiMaria to third on a groundout to shortstop. Lisa McGregor then hit a flair single to right, scoring DiMaria and knotting the game at five.

After a wild pitch by Kelly Murphy, pinch runner Gasti advanced to second with two outs. Hulpa did the rest as she put her two-strikeout performance at the plate behind her and blasted the next pitch from Murphy over the left center field fence giving the Panthers the 7-5 victory.

“I didn’t watch it go,” Hulpa said. “I found out from the first base coach that it went out and I was so relieved.”

Hulpa wasn’t the only one who was excited about her play.

“Kelly’s plays were huge,” Phalen said. “It was all because she never gave up and stayed with it.”

Gasti picked up the win for her one inning of work, lifting her season record to 5-7.

In the second game, Pitt used the second and third innings to put the game away early. Pitt jumped out to a 6-0 lead in part to aggressive base running and two RBIs from Hulpa, who finished the day 4 for 7 from the plate with four RBIs.

Gasti went the distance in second game as she scattered six hits, struck out four and gave up only one run in recording her second victory of the day on the mound.

The lone Penguin run came on a bases loaded single by catcher Codi Bise. Stephanie Hartman picked up the loss as she surrendered six runs to the Panthers.

“As a team we’re playing a lot better defensively and we’re starting to hit the ball,” Phalen said of her team’s 7-1 second-game victory.

The Panthers return to action today against Robert Morris University with another doubleheader scheduled at Trees Field beginning at 2 p.m.