Softball Loses to Louisville

[mike412]

. Pitt was winning 6-5 when an error allowed Louisville to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th. Then Louisville committed 3 consecutive errors to start the 7th. So with the bases loaded and none out, Pitt didn't score.

Louisville got a one out triple in the bottom of the 7th. Then Aprile called for two straight intentional walks. I can understand the first but not the second. Especially when Knight has been having control trouble the past few games. She struck out the next batter after getting the first two strikes on foul balls that had they been fair would have been HRs at PNC Park. But the next batter blooped one into right and that was the ballgame.

I think Knight was being so careful not to walk in the run that she was throwing right down the middle. That's why I question the second intentional walk.

When they were 9-0 and ranked, I posted that the big issue was the pitching. That has proven to be the case as they have lost 7 of their last 9. After pitching a no hitter, I don't think Harris has lasted 4 innings in a game since then. And Knight pitches just well enough to lose. She had a 0.00 ERA after her first 5 games. Since then I would guess her ERA is around 5.00. Neither of them strikes out many batters and neither has a dominant pitch.

This team is still 3 players away from being really, really good: A CF who can hit; a power hitting C or 1B; and a top of the staff P.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

You walk two batters after the triple to set up a force at any base. Especially in softball where double plays are more rare than they are in baseball, on most balls hit on the infield you are going to have to come home anyway, so you want that to be a force play.

 

[mike412]

If you have a pitcher with great control, maybe. But Knight walks too many people. She tossed two lollipops to the first Louisville batter, who murdered them but both were foul. Then she struck her out on a high change which totally fooled her.

I think you bring the infield in. If there is a ball in the infield you are going home so it is a tag play instead of a force. Granted, a little tougher. But the tradeoff is that gives Knight some breathing room and she can throw better pitches than 60 mph right down the middle.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I think you bring the infield in. If there is a ball in the infield you are going home so it is a tag play instead of a force. Granted, a little tougher. But the tradeoff is that gives Knight some breathing room and she can throw better pitches than 60 mph right down the middle.

If you are going to do that then why would you bother to walk the first batter? If you are going to play it the way that you want to play it then the two choices are to walk two batters or to walk no batters. Walking one batter doesn't make any sense (unless maybe that one batter is the opponent's best hitter).

 

[mike412]

Because the first batter they walked was Louisville's top hitter. And it gives you a force at 2B if the runner doesn't try to score on a ground ball. But the main reason is she is their best hitter -- by average and power.