April 20, 1999

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh women's softball team swept a doubleheader with Cleveland State today at Frick Field. The Panthers captured the first game 1-0 and added another victory in the second game with a 3-1 decision.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and held on for the victory in the first game. With two runners on base, redshirt freshman catcher Jackie Haar (Naples, Fla./Lely) hit a ground-rule double down the left field line to send shortstop Tiffany Barrett (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) across the plate for the game-winning run.

Pittsburgh freshman Gina Bessolo (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) held off the Vikings for the remainder of the game and tallied her second complete game shutout of the season, allowing nine hits and notching four strikeouts.

Cleveland State rallied in the second game, scoring the first run of the nightcap in the top of the first inning. The Vikings held the Panthers scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Pittsburgh tied the score at one apiece off Barrett's RBI single to center field to score right fielder Brittany Yoder (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola).

Pittsburgh captured the victory in the following inning when freshman Rhiannia Rogers (Camarillo, Calif./Rio Mesa) knocked in the game-winning runs with her eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the center field fence.

Junior hurler Laura LeViere (Pittsburgh, Pa./Northgate) pitched a stellar game for the Panthers in the nightcap. She pitched a complete game and recorded her sixth victory of the season allowing just one run, one hit while striking out three batters.

The victories improve the Panthers record to 12-28-1 overall. They return to action this weekend when they face Big East Conference rivals Providence April 24, and Connecticut April 25, in away contests.