Softball Splits Doubleheader at Pittsburgh
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
GAME ONE BOX SCORE (.html)
GAME ONE BOX SCORE (.pdf)
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (.html)
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (.pdf)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Seton Hall softball team split a doubleheader at Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Pirates (18-24, 7-9) dropped the opener, 2-1, and came out on top in the nightcap, 8-2. The rubber game of the series will be played on Sunday at noon.
Solo homeruns by Niki Cognigni in the second and Reba Tutt in the third gave the Panthers a 2-0 advantage in game one.
Junior Brittany Schillizzi (Paramus, N.J.) led off the fifth with a base hit and surprised the Pitt defense with a steal of second base before the pitcher returned to the circle. Freshman Brittany Hammer (Manheim, Pa.) attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the catcher overthrew first base, allowing Schillizzi to score and cut the deficit in half.
The Pirates threatened in the top of the seventh after Nalin Bennett (East Syracuse, N.Y.) roped a double, and moved to third after a sacrifice by Kristen Kaelin (Parlin, N.J.). Pittsburgh walked Schillizzi and SHU loaded the bases after Hammer reached via fielder's choice. Sophomore Nicole Loewenstein (Joppa, Md.) hit a grounder to third, but the Panthers recorded the force out at home for the second out, and Laura Canulli (Naperville, Ill.) went down swinging to end the game.
Senior Ashley Forsyth (Freehold, N.J.) (10-9) allowed just the two homers and six hits in six innings of work.
The Pirates went to work in the third inning, with Michelle Reed (Wrightstown, N.J.) starting a rally with an infield single. After Reed swiped her 10th bag of the year to move into scoring position, Bennett notched a base hit to put SHU on top, 1-0. The next batter was Kaelin, who extended the margin to 3-0 by pulling a two-run homer to leftfield.
In the fourth, Hammer and Cashel Gaffey (East Lyme, Conn.) singled and were pushed into scoring position on a sacrifice. Freshman Brooke Tull (Greenwood, Del.) was called up to pinch hit, and singled to bring in the Pirates' fourth run.
Tutt hit another solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to make it a three-run game, but SHU put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth.
Hammer and Ragucci each reached on base hits and Reed singled to the pitcher, and Hammer was able to score all the way from second on the play. Junior Jamie Gates (Emmaus, Pa.) delivered the biggest blow, a three-run blast to put the score, 8-1, in favor of the Pirates.
Pitt added another run in the sixth inning, but the Hall would record the final outs to secure the win.
Junior Katie Stilwell (Portage, Wis.) picked up the win (4-8) after tossing 3.1 innings in relief.
Reed, Kaelin, and Gates all picked up two hits in the game.
