A look at how Pitt softball and Penn State baseball did Wednesday
PITT SOFTBALL
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team swept St. Bonaventure Wednesday afternoon doubleheader at Vartabedian Field, as the Panthers [21-11, 3-6 ACC] defeated the Bonnies [4-17, 1-2 A10] 8-0 in five innings of play in game one and 7-3 in the second.
With today’s wins, Pitt has now defeated St. Bonaventure four times this season.
Pitt’s offense produced 19 hits on the day and posted .388 team average. The squad scored 15 runs and earned an on base percentage of .474. Redshirt senior Shelby Pickett fueled the offense, putting up a team-high five hits in eight at-bats. In game two, Pickett blasted three home runs while in the first game she cranked out two doubles.
In addition to Pickett, redshirt senior Maggie Sevilla and sophomores Giorgiana Zeremenko and McKayla Taylor each added a home run. The Panthers finished the day with six shots over the wall.
On the mound, Kayla Harris moved to 11-8 on the season after picking up the win in game one. The sophomore pitched her fourth shutout of the season, giving up just two hits while posting six strikeouts against the Bonnies.
Senior Jenna Modic is now 3-3 on year, after reliving starting pitcher freshman Sarah Dawson of her duties in the top of the fourth inning of game two to earn the win. Modic gave up just a single hit through four innings pitched.
Game One: Pitt 8, St. Bonaventure 0 (five innings)
· The Panthers defeated St. Bonaventure 8-0 in five innings of play in game one of Wednesday’s doubleheader.
· In the first inning Pitt scored a single run to lead St. Bonaventure 1-0. Taylor doubled to right field to get things started for Pitt, and was joined on the bases by Modic who was walked. Zeremenko singled to center to load the bases for Sevilla who brought home Taylor, on a ground out to short, to put the Panthers on the board.
· Pitt posted another run in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead over the Bonnies. Freshman Olivia Gray got on base first for the Panthers with a single through the left side. She then advanced to second on a sac bunt by freshman Alexis Solak. Following a walk to junior Kaitlin Manuel, Gray got thrown out at third on a fielder’s choice by Pickett. Manuel scored from second on the next play, a single down the left field line by Taylor.
· Zeremenko gave Pitt a 3-0 lead in the third inning with a solo blast over the left field wall.
· The Panthers added their fourth run on back-to-back doubles by Manuel and Pickett in the bottom of the fourth inning.
· Pitt defeated the Bonnies 8-0 in five innings after putting up four final runs in the bottom of the fifth. Gray hit a double to center field to get on base for the Panthers. Senior Morgan Choe, who pinch hit for Solak, was hit by a pitch and took her place at first. Pickett hit a double down the left field line to send Gray and Choe home. A two-run walk off blast by Taylor sealed the win for Pitt.
Game Two: Pitt 7, St. Bonaventure 3
· The Panthers came from behind to top St. Bonaventure 7-3, with Modic earning the win. Shelby Pickett led the offense with three home runs, one which brought Pitt back to tie the game and the other to take the lead.
· The Bonnies got on the board first after Belfield hit a two-run home run to center field in the first inning.
· Pitt cut St. Bonaventure’s lead in half, 2-1, when Sevilla hit the fair side of the foul pole in left field for a home run in the bottom of the second inning.
· In the third inning with one away, Pickett stepped to the plate and hit her first long ball of the game to center field to tie the score 2-2.
· Following a scoreless fourth, St. Bonaventure’s Emily McDonough hit a double down the left field line to send Haley Majot home from second, giving the Bonnies a 3-2 lead.
· Pitt responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, 4-3. With two outs, Duran walked putting a runner on for the Panthers. Pickett then went yard to center field for the second time in the game.
· The Panthers scored three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth after Pickett sent her third ball flying over the wall with freshman pinch hitter Marissa DeMatteo and Duran both on base following singles.
· Pitt held St. Bonaventure in the top of the seventh to conclude the game.
Up Next
· Pitt will hit the road and return to ACC action with a weekend series at NC State.
· The Panthers will play a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 and will conclude the series on Sunday, April 4 at Noon.
PENN STATE BASEBALL
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) and Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) combined to drive in all five Penn State runs and strong pitching kept the Binghamton offense in check as the Nittany Lions defeated the Bearcats, 5-2, in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Winners of seven of its last nine games, Penn State improved to 12-12 on the season to continue its best start since 2011. Riotto reached base three times and went 2-for-4 with a career-high matching three RBIs, while Haley went 2-for-5 with a two-RBI triple to extend his hitting streak to nine games. The duo, which batted No. 1 and No. 2 in the lineup, drove in three unearned runs in the fourth inning to give the Lions a lead they would not relinquish.
Additionally, freshman right fielder Jordan Bowersox enjoyed his sixth two-hit game and scored both times he reached.
On the mound for the Blue and White, LHP Nick Hedge (Winnetka, Ill.) (2-1) went 5 1/3 innings to earn the win, yielding one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He was relieved by RHP Nick Distasio (Oley, Pa,) after getting into a jam in the sixth with two runners in scoring position and just one out. Distasio answered with two strikeouts and yielded just one hit and one unearned run over 2 2/3 innings of work, finishing with four strikeouts.
RHP Jack Anderson (Evanston, Ill.) (8) took over in the ninth for his eighth save of the season and 20th of his career. He retired the side, striking out the first two batters. He now needs just two more saves to equal the Penn State career record and three more to equal the single-season record. It was also his 83rd career appearance, moving him to within two of the program record in the category.
Binghamton (7-15) was paced offensively by first baseman Brendan Skidmore, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and walk. The Bearcats used eight different pitchers with LHP Robert Brown (0-1) taking the hard-luck loss after getting charged with the three unearned runs in the fourth.
Penn State was first to score, getting one across in the second inning when Riotto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) and Bowersox had led the inning off with back-to-back singles and Sloniger drew a one out walk to load them.
Binghamton evened the game again the very next frame though, as centerfielder CJ Krowiak doubled and then scored from second on a wild pitch.
Penn State went back ahead in the fourth with three unearned runs. A pair of errors helped load the bases, and Riotto drove in the first run of the frame by hitting into a fielder’s choice. Haley then delivered with a triple to the right gap to drive in two more.
Riotto came through again in the sixth with two outs, pulling an RBI-single into right field for a 5-1 lead. Binghamton added an unearned run in the eighth for the final margin.
Penn State will next host a Big Ten series for the first time this season as Purdue will open a three-game series Friday at 6:30 on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
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