Softball goes winless in nine games during the break

The Pitt softball team may have left Florida feeling unwelcome as it dropped nine games in… The Pitt softball team may have left Florida feeling unwelcome as it dropped nine games in its tour of the state during spring break.

The Panthers (4-13) were shut out three times and held to one run twice during the nine-game stretch.

Mississippi State 5, Pitt 4

The tour began in Tallahassee, Fla. The Panthers lost a heartbreaker, 5-4, in eight innings against the Mississippi Bulldogs in the Florida Seminole Challenge.

The game went back and forth as the Panthers had leads of 2-0 and 3-2. The Bulldogs were able to tie the game at three in the seventh with a home run and two more runs in the eighth.

Pitt mounted a comeback but was only able to score one run. An error allowed Francesca DiMaria to reach base and got the Panthers on the board in third inning as Ana Velazquez scored on the miscue.

Velazquez and Angela Blackmon reached on infield singles and moved up a station when Velazquez ran to third base. Blackmon moved up when Mississippi State attempted to get Velazquez out at third base. Kelly Hulpa drove in Blackmon with a single to left giving the Panthers an early 2-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, the Bulldogs scored to knot the game at two, but Pitt came back with a run in its half of the inning. Christa Hunter doubled in DiMaria who reached on an error.

Florida State 7, Pitt 1

The Florida State Seminoles put Pitt in an early hole as Florida State scored all the runs it needed by the third inning. The Seminoles scored one run in the first, two in the third, one in the fourth and three in the sixth.

Pitt was held to four hits, which were split between four players. Velazquez, Blackmon, Hunter and Beth Gill all had hits for the Panthers.

Gill collected her second stolen base of the season and Tiffany White scored Pitt’s only run on an errant pickoff throw.

Central Michigan 4, Pitt 3

A change of cities did not help the Panthers’ fortunes as they dropped seven games in Plant City, Fla.

The Central Michigan Chippewas hit home runs in the late innings costing the Panthers another game.

DiMaria got things going for Pitt in the first inning by drawing a walk. Velazquez followed with a single to left. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and Hulpa knocked in DiMaria on an infield single, giving Pitt a 1-0 lead.

Casey Pickard followed with a single, which scored Velazquez. A Chippewas home run in the bottom of the inning cut the score in half to 2-1. Central Michigan tied the game at two in the bottom of the forth, but Pitt came back with a run scored by DiMaria in the top of the fifth.

Pitt starter Janelle Pepe gave up a two-out home run in the bottom of the seventh, which tied the game at three. Central Michigan added a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth for the 4-3 victory.

Western Michigan 7, Pitt 3

Squandering early leads continued to be the theme in the Florida State Seminole Challenge as the Panthers drew first blood against the Western Michigan Broncos.

Heather Andrews drew a bases loaded walk and Gill drove in Pickard with a single giving Pitt a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Broncos struck back with four runs and added three more in the bottom of the third, giving them enough of a lead to cruise to a 7-3 victory.

Mississippi 4, Pitt 0

The Panthers began the South Florida Speedline Invitational with a three-game streak of being held scoreless.

Pitt pitcher Nikki Gasti held the Mississippi Rebels to one run on four hits through the first six innings before they put together a three-run seventh inning. Gasti finished the game giving up seven hits while striking out five.

Pacific 3, Pitt 0

Pepe went the distance on the mound for the Panthers; they were held to one hit in their 3-0 loss to Pacific. She allowed three runs on eight hits during seven innings of work.

Pacific broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with two runs, and added an insurance run in the seventh.

Blackmon recorded the Panthers’ only hit and three other Panthers reached base by drawing walks.

Purdue 9, Pitt 0

Purdue was the third team in three games to blank the Panthers. The Boilermakers scored two runs in the second inning, four in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

The game was called in the fifth because of the eight-run mercy rule.

Pitt had three base hits in the game. Pickard had a double and Velazquez and Lisa McGregor both singled.

Temple 3, Pitt 1

The Temple Owls scored two runs in the first off Hunter, and added an insurance run in the fifth in its 3-1 victory over the Panthers.

After the Owls jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Panthers got on the scoreboard for the first time in 26 innings with an RBI single by Gill. Gasti scored on Gill’s single after collecting her first career hit with a single up the middle.

Central Michigan 12, Pitt 3

In the final game of the Speedline Invitational, Pitt went into the seventh inning, trailing 3-1 before Central Michigan exploded for nine runs. The Panthers aided the Chippewas by committing four errors in the inning.

Gill had a big performance as she went 3 for 3 in the loss. Pitt has dropped 10 straight games going into the weekend.

The Panthers are next in action in the Winthrop Invitational March 14-16 in Rock Hill, S.C.