May 2, 1999

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Panthers softball team split a pair of contests with visiting St. John's today at Frick Field in their final Big East Conference games of the season. The Panthers captured a 2-1 victory in the first game, while the Red Storm rallied for a 1-0 win in game two.

St. John's got on the board first off pitcher Brianne Leary's RBI double in the top of the third inning. The Panthers rallied to tie the score at one apiece in the bottom of the fifth off catcher Jackie Haar's (Naples, Fla./Lely) solo shot to left field, marking her 14th home run of the season. Pittsburgh captured the victory in game one when right fielder Brittany Yoder (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) crossed the plate on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth.

Panther hurler Gina Bessolo (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) pitched the complete game and earned her seventh win of the season. She faced 25 batters and gave up three hits while striking out five.

In the second game, St. John's took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth off Susan D'Ambrosio's RBI single to center field, and the Red Storm held on for the shutout victory.

The Panther's record stands at 14-34-1 overall and 2-14 in the Big East. This season marked Pittsburgh's first-ever as a member of the Big East Conference.

Pittsburgh concludes its 1999 campaign Tuesday, May 4, when they host Youngstown State in a doubleheader at Frick Field. Game time is set for 1 p.m.