Heather Connor Named Big East Co-Player of the Week

5/2/2005

Connor provided late-inning heroics in the Panthers' sweep of Boston College on Sunday.

PITTSBURGH—Pitt sophomore catcher Heather Connor was named the Co-Big East Player of the Week, it was announced Monday afternoon. The Panthers swept Syracuse and Boston College in doubleheaders at Trees Field over the weekend to move into a tie for fourth place in the league.

Connor (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) hit .400 (4-for-10) for the week and hit safely in all four of the Panthers' games. Her late-inning heroics in Sunday's sweep of the Eagles put Pitt (22-24, 8-6 Big East) in position to earn its first postseason berth in the program's eight-year history with a win at Villanova on Friday.

In the first game of the doubleheader versus Boston College, Connor connected on a pinch-hit, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Panthers a 4-3 victory. In game two, Connor doubled to lead off the bottom of the eighth frame and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly and subsequent interference on the Eagles' third baseman in another 4-3 victory.

Connor shares this week's award with Notre Dame's Kellie Middleton and is the second Panther to earn the weekly honor in 2005. Second baseman Francesca DiMaria (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) was named the Big East Player of the Week on April 4.

The Panthers need just one victory in a doubleheader at Villanova on Friday to make their first postseason trip and could move into the No. 3 position in the conference with three wins in their final four Big East games. Pitt will play non-conference doubleheaders at Kent State (Tuesday, May 3) and at home vs. Ohio State (Wednesday, May 4) before traveling to Villanova.