Pitt Edges Syracuse, 2-1. Series To Be Decided Tomorrow

Saturday, April 20

Syracuse, NY

1 pm

Syracuse University

19-23, 0

Pittsburgh

8-38, 0

Pittsburgh

Syracuse

Pitt Edges Syracuse, 2-1. Series To Be Decided Tomorrow

4/20/2019 4:21:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Highlights

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – In a battle of pitching and tough defense, Pitt edged the Syracuse softball team, 2-1, Saturday afternoon at Skytop Stadium. Pitt's (8-38, 3-14 ACC) victory evens the series against Syracuse (19-24, 8-9 ACC), forcing a rubber match Sunday, April 21 in the final game of the series. Sunday's game is set for a 12 p.m. first pitch on ACC Network Extra.

In her 10^th start of the season, Miranda Hearn tossed an impressive five innings before exiting the game with one out in the sixth. Hearn, who was responsible for the first Pitt run scored, gave up three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. The performance against the Panthers was Hearn's second-longest outing of the season and the fewest hits she has allowed in 2019 when pitching more than four innings. Alicia Hansen recorded Syracuse's only hit of the day going 1-for-2 with a walk.

"I think that when somebody throws a changeup at you that much, it's always in the back of your mind," said head coach Shannon Dopeking. "And the second it's in the back of your mind – you're thinking about it. We've got to do a better job of when we are getting hard stuff about not getting frazzled."

Syracuse started the game with a bang, retiring the first three Pitt batters in order and taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Orange's lone run of the day came following a lead off walk to Gabby Teran. Alicia Hansen knocked a single up the middle before Teran scored on a Pitt throwing error.

Pitt had several chances early, including two base runners in the second and third inning, but Hearn worked around them and held the Panthers off the scoreboard. Both defenses and pitchers remained strong with one combined hit through the fourth and fifth frames.

Following a one-out single by the Panthers in the sixth inning, Alexa Romero entered the game for Syracuse looking to shut down Pitt's offense. The lefty retired the first batter she faced, before letting a pitch get away from her, hitting a batter. An RBI-double from Walker Barbee scored both base runners for a 2-1 Pitt lead. Romero (13-8) would give up just one more hit but the Orange could not plate any additional runs.

'Cuse was unable to generate any offense in the bottom of the sixth before Neli Casares-Maher gave the Orange hope with a one-out walk in the seventh inning. The Panthers' defense turned a double play to end the game one batter later.

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