April 8, 2008

Box Score

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.--The University of Pittsburgh softball team tied the school record for shutout victories in a season with a 2-0 win over Penn State, this afternoon, at Nittany Lion Field. The Panthers improved to 21-13 on the season, while the Nittany Lions fell to 26-14.

Pitt tied the 2000 season record with its 11th shutout of the season, and tied the two-time (2000, 2003) shutout streak with its fourth consecutive.

The win also marked the first time the Panthers have defeated Penn State in the eight-game series.

Freshman Cory Berliner (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) earned her fifth shutout of the season, which ties the second-best single-season mark of Nikki Gasti. She improved to 12-6 on the season and is now three wins shy of tying the single-season wins mark of 15, which is held by Laura Belardinelli (2006) and Gasti (2003).

In seven innings, Berliner allowed just three hits and struck out six batters.

Junior Samantha Card (Miami, Fla./Our Lady of Lourdes/Florida International) recorded her 25th RBI in the game with a sacrifice fly, that sent freshman Reba Tutt (Culpeper, Va./Highland) in for the winning run in the fourth inning. Tutt advanced to base on a throwing error.

Later, senior Mary Hecker (Roseville, Calif./Roseville) scored on a wild pitch after advancing to base on balls. Additionally, freshman Mollie Illenberger (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) hit her first double of the season in the inning, that moved Hecker to third.

Pitt held off the Nittany Lions in the sixth after they tallied a lead-off single. Freshman Alicia Broudy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) made two plays for the first two outs and Berliner caught the final batter of the inning looking.