Softball Posts School Record Wins With Sweep

Wednesday, April 12

Loretto, PA

4:00 PM

Pitt

St. Francis

Softball Posts School Record Wins With Sweep

4/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

April 12, 2006

Box Score

LORETTO, Pa.--26. That is the number of wins the University of Pittsburgh softball team now has this season. Their sweep of St. Francis this afternoon set a school record for wins in a season. Pitt also posted its sixth shutout of the year with an 8-0 victory in game two of this afternoon's doubleheader at Stokes Softball Complex.

Pitt (26-17) is in the midst of its best season ever in the program's nine-year history. The Panthers surpassed their 2003 win total of 24 with the wins over non-conference opponent St. Francis.

As a team, the Panthers are also batting at .270 which is another program mark, since Pitt's best batting average was .252 set last year.

Senior Francesca DiMaria's (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) and junior Sheena Hellon (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova) also made history in game two's win. Both DiMaria and Hellon stole a base in the ball game, giving Pitt 63 steals this season, which eclipse the 2003 mark of 62. Making her own note in the record books, Hellon is now a perfect 19 for 19 on stolen bases and is tied for second on the all-time leaders board.

Junior Laura Belardinelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) fanned four batters and allowed six hits in six innings of work. Belardinelli posted a career-high 12^th win in the game, improving to the second-best spot on the single-season wins list and her second shutout of the season.

Pitt did the bulk of its scoring in the sixth inning with six runs off five hits. Senior Lisa McGregor (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford Senior), junior Joey Scarf (Humble, Texas/Humble) and sophomore Jessica Dignon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) all recorded two RBI in the inning, while Dignon recorded her first home run of the season. Dignon became the ninth Panther to garner a homer this season.

In the seventh, the Red Flash moved a runner to third after she doubled, but left her stranded with a ground ball to Dignon.

DiMaria was 3 for 4 and scored two runs in the game, while Scarf was 2 for 3 with one run and three RBI.

The Panthers travel to Syracuse on Saturday, April 15, for a noon doubleheader.

Score by Innings R H E

Pittsburgh 001 106 - 8 11 0

Saint Francis (Pa.) 000 000 - 0 6 1