April 13, 2008

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Records fall as Pitt's softball team earned its first-ever victory over Louisville in an 8-0 shutout, in the second game of today's doubleheader at Ulmer Stadium.

As a team, the Panthers (22-17, 7-5 Big East) posted their 12th shutout of the season, eclipsing the 2000 record of 11. The shutout was also their fifth in conference play to date and marked the first win for Pitt in the four-game Louisville (23-15, 9-3 Big East) series.

Individually, senior Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) improved upon one school record and tied three others in the game.

First, Dignon added two more RBI to her career record that now stands at 104. Then, she scored four runs in the game, which tied Ana Velazquez's 2003 record against Robert Morris. Additionally, she tallied the 13th double of the season, tying four others including her mark in 2007. That last double also gave her 41 in her career, which ties the 2005 record set by Casey Pickard.

Pitt jumped on the board in the third inning when senior Mary Hecker (Roseville, Calif./Roseville) singled, allowing Dignon to score. Dignon led off the inning with a double to center field.

Hecker would also score in the inning after Louisville recorded an error on a groundball.

Later in the fourth, Dignon hit her eighth career triple, scoring freshmen Reba Tutt (Culpeper, Va./Highland) and Ashley Amistade (Washington, Pa./Trinity) on the play.

Next, Dignon stole home after junior Samantha Card (Miami, Fla./Our Lady of Lourdes/Florida International) stole second, lifting Pitt to a 5-0 lead.

Dignon's triple moved her to second overall on the career lists and ties her with several others for third in the single-season records.

In the sixth, Dignon hit a one-out double that bounced threw center field. She scored when Card singled on the next at-bat.

Then, after stealing her fourth base of the day and second of the game, Card scored while bases were loaded and freshman Alicia Broudy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) was walked.

Card tallied the final RBI of the game when she tripled through the outfield to score Dignon.

Sophomore Kayla Zinger (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunnyslope) improved to 9-8 on the year in her third solo shutout of the season.

In the sixth inning, Louisville's center fielder hit a lead off triple to threaten Pitt's shutout. However, Zinger struck out her 49th batter of the year on the next play and Dignon tallied an assist for the second out. A few pitches later, Hecker caught a line drive to hold off the Cardinals.

Dignon was 3-for-3 with two RBI and four runs in the game, while Card was walked twice, but went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI.

Pitt returns to Trees Field for a 10-game homestand over the next two weeks. The Panthers face Robert Morris in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15.