Softball Establishes School Record For Victories in a Season With Doubleheader Sweep of Robert Morris

5/1/2003

The Panthers shut out the Colonials in both games, 6-0 and 15-0, to bring their win total to 23.

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Pittsburgh softball team took advantage of 12 Robert Morris errors in two games and topped the Colonials, 6-0 and 15-0, in a Thursday afternoon doubleheader.

The wins give the Panthers 23 for the season, a new school record. Pittsburgh (23-30) won 21 games in both the 2000 and 2002 seasons.

In game one, the Panthers got three runs in the fourth and three more in the sixth inning for the decisive 6-0 victory. Senior pitcher Nikki Gasti (Carmichaels, Pa./Carmichaels) improved to 14-16 with a three-hit shutout of the Colonials. She pitched all seven innings and tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, giving her 209 for the season, the first Panthers pitcher to record 200 or more strikeouts in a single season.

In the Pittsburgh fourth inning, senior Angela Blackmon (San Diego, Calif./Palomar C.C.) reached on an error with one out and moved to second on the play. After Blackmon moved to third on a wild pitch, fellow senior Tiffany White (Carlsbad, Calif./Palomar C.C.) singled to center field for the first run of the game. Freshman Jessica Thomas (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) followed with a single and both White and Thomas scored on another error with Natalie Phillips (Utica, N.Y./Mohawk Valley C.C.) advancing to third on a throwing miscue by Brandi Papiernik, but was thrown out at home trying to make it a 4-0 game.

In the sixth inning, White led off with a single but was forced out when Thomas grounded into a fielder's choice. Phillips followed with a single and both her and Thomas were moved to second and third, respectively, on a bunt by Ana Velazquez (Santa Ana, Calif./Santa Ana C.C.). Junior Beth Gill (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and freshman Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) was plunked as well to score Thomas. Sophomore Casey Pickard (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart) then singled in both Phillips and Gill to account for the final runs.

White was 3-for-4 in game one with a run and an RBI, while Pickard had two hits and drove in the two runs in the sixth inning.

In game two, senior pitcher Janelle Pepe (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) continued the mastery over the Colonials with a five-inning one-hitter, allowing just two base runners and striking out four.

The Panthers scored five times in the first inning, four more in the second and third innings, and twice in the fourth inning for the 15-0 mercy-rule victory. Four different Panthers had two hits, including Pickard, Blackmon, Phillips, and senior Kelly Hulpa (Washington, Pa./Trinity), who broke the school record for hits with her 117th in the third inning.

Gill and Phillips both connected on their first home runs of the year for the Panthers and for Phillips, it was her first career homer. Seven Robert Morris errors led to 14 unearned runs against Robert Morris pitchers Papiernik and Kali Byers.

The Panthers will close out the 2003 season with a home doubleheader against Providence on Saturday at 11 a.m. Pittsburgh needs just one win in the two games to establish a new school record for conference wins in a season.