2-13-17

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | February 13, 2017| Volume 107| Issue 121

SOFTBALL STARTS WITH A STREAK

AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Steve Rotstein Sports Editor

Coming off a respectable 31-21 season and only two years after an NCAA Tournament run, the Pitt softball team had reasons to believe 2017 could be a big year.

With a lineup featuring the return of top slugger Giorgiana Zeremenko and a rotation led by ace Kayla Harris — along with some first-year players making an immediate impact — the Panthers have potential to compete in a loaded ACC. Still, it’s hard to believe many people outside Pitt’s clubhouse anticipated a flawless opening weekend like the one the Panthers just put together.

Pitt (5-0) got its season off to a scorching start, picking up a 3-1 win over the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats Friday afternoon in Orlando — the team’s first win over a ranked opponent since the 2015 ACC Tournament — followed by a 6-0 win over UCF Friday night.

The Panthers added another win over the Wildcats by a 6-3 score Saturday morning, then defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers 5-2 that afternoon. The team capped off the perfect weekend with another win over UCF Sunday afternoon, 6-3.

Fresh off a 16-win season in 2016, Harris took the mound for Pitt in the season opener against Kentucky.

See Softball on page 9

Chris Carson plays trombone during the Pittsburgh Trombone Project’s concert in Heinz Chapel Sunday.

Anna Bongardino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

ABORTION LEGISLATION PROMPTS PROTESTS Alexis Carter

coalition #ProtestPP, which pushes for the government to fund Federally Qualified On any given day, you can find small Health Centers that do not perform aborgroups of protesters outside Planned Par- tions, organized a rally in downtown Pittsburgh at 9 a.m. enthood clinics across the country.

Coalition members and pro-life supBut the pro-life national movement came out in full force Saturday to pressure porters gathered quietly in front of the the president and Congress into moving Planned Parenthood facility on Liberty forward with plans to strip funding from Avenue Downtown, holding signs that read the women’s health care organization. The “Adoption Not Abortion,” “Stop Abortion Staff Writer

Now,” “Defund Planned Parenthood” and “Babies Are Beautiful.” Some demonstrators opted for images of Jesus and dismembered, aborted fetuses.

Pauline Donnelly, 63, stood near Planned Parenthood volunteers holding a sign with four bulleted reasons to defund the organization that in part read “largest abortion provider” and “sells baby body See Protest on page 3

News

Interactive Crime Map Online at Pittnews.com

BRUNCHES AND BIG IDEAS:

Bookstore raises money for arrested protesters Max Datner

out.”

The focus of this afternoon was Pitt student Brown and activist Cancilla, who Supporters of anti-fascist protests were arrested in November for aggravated gathered at the Big Idea Bookstore in assault, resisting arrest and trespassing afBloomfield Sunday not for a book signing ter pushing back against police who were or a poetry reading, but for brunch.

The store — also home to an in-house café — has been holding brunches since October to contribute to the legal fees of locals arrested while protesting, and has become well known in local activist circles for its dedication to anti-capitalist ideals. Every employee is an equal owner in the shop, which turned a profit for the first time since it opened 16 years ago.

Employees chose to donate the money to the Red Warrior fund — a legal fund designed for those arrested at Dakota Access Pipeline protests — as well as to the legal fund of Pittsburghers arrested at President Donald Trump’s inauguration protests.

With the goal of aiding local protesters again, about 75 community members showed up for one of the shop’s biggest events Sunday. Through suggested dona- Max Datner STAFF WRITER tions of $7 to $15, the shop raised $500 to offset legal fees for two protesters, Victoria Brown and Phillip Cancilla, arrested attempting to physically remove members of the group during an anti-Trump proin Litchfield Towers last November.

For the fundraisers, the bookstore test inside Towers lobby.

The arrests — which resulted in felony transforms its basement — normally reserved as a meeting space for community charges — sparked outrage among activorganizers — into a buffet area, serving ists online and at the protest, many of mostly vegan dishes. Since beginning whom felt the police had acted too agthe brunches Oct. 30, the bookstore has gressively. Detchon, 24, of Shadyside, raised about $1,800 for protesters’ legal said she’d seen the fundraiser online and wanted to contribute. fees.

“I think that honestly the felony chargAutumn Detchon, 24, of Shadyside, heard about the event online and attended es were a little extreme and I just want to for the first time. While at the store, De- support protesters how I can,” Detchon tchon enjoyed the vegan food and com- said. “If I can’t be out there, then I should at least support people who can be.” pany of fellow supporters.

The University and police stood by “It was just a nice brunch,” she said.

“They are good people helping people their actions at the protest in November.

Staff Writer

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“everyday brunch talk” with other attendees.

The hiss of a coffee machine filled the room as people perused the bookshelves and helped themselves to a table of food made in the store’s small in-house cafe.

Signs on the front window read, “Respect Native Sovereignty” and “Stop the Pipelines,” making it clear that the store is about more than selling paperbacks.

Of the staff who attended the brunch, Amanda Johnson, 32, of Bloomfield, cleaned up and took count of the day’s sales behind the main desk. Johnson — one of the store’s employees who has been involved with a number of similar brunch fundraisers in the past — explained the straightforward nature of the fundraisers.

“Everybody needs to eat food so it’s a simple way to bring people together,” she said.

Another employee, who did not wish to be identified due to his own ongoing legal proceedings, said the Big Idea Bookstore plays an important role in the pursuit of social justice. “it’s just a quesAmanda Johnson tion of realizing 32, Bloomfield [that] if we want to reorganize society, it has to start on a small scale and federsaid, before listing the charges.

Pitt’s Dean of Students Kenyon Bon- ate outwards from there,” he said. “It can’t ner penned a letter in support of peace- be imposed. It’s about living differently I ful activism but also stood by the police guess, as opposed to some magical revoluofficers’ actions — a choice he received tion that’s never going to happen.”

Looking to the future, the employee criticism for.

The atmosphere Sunday was calm, de- said the anarchist movement is strengthspite the focus on the November protests. ening in Pittsburgh.

“With the repression, with the way While munching on barbecue seitan and tofu scramble, Detchon discussed ev- things seem to be going … sadly, we’re goerything from activism to what she called ing to have many more benefits,” he said.

Joe Miksch, a University spokesperson, released a straightforward statement in line with police following the arrests.

“Protesters attempted to enter Litchfield Towers lobby after being asked by University police not to do so,” Miksch

“

Everybody needs to eat food so it’s a simple way to bring people together

February 13, 2017

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Protest, pg. 1

vice, Planned Parenthood has defended its role in communities as more than just an abortion clinic. According to Planned Parenthood, 3 percent of all health services it provides are abortion services.

Elizabeth Wozniak, a 25-year-old nurse, said she’s used Planned Parenthood services for general appointments with primary care physicians and annual gynecological check-ups.

“It’s hard on a day-to-day basis with what’s going on in the news and world around us to not feel discouraged,” Wozniak said. “So it’s important to go to events like this, be surrounded by people who share the opinions that I share and are fighting the same fight.”

Wozniak was one of about 60 who showed up to an “I Stand With Planned Parenthood” celebration that also began at 9 a.m. Saturday in the art gallery SPACE, located on the 800 block of Liberty Avenue.

Planned Parenthood advocates shared personal stories and wrote postcards to Pennsylvania senators and Gov. Tom Wolf to support women’s health and to ensure that family planning and health and wellness remain a priority to the administration.

Diane Lassman, a 61-year-old nurse

turned yoga instructor, filled out postcards to send to state legislators during the celebration. She said the organization provides vital and critical services to both men and women.

“I worked as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit, so I saw babies having babies,” Lassman said. “And when babies are born through poverty, there are all kinds of issues that affect them.”

Lassman also said the resources that pro-life organizers provide are not enough.

“For a woman who has support around her it’s hard enough. Take a child or a person who doesn’t have that and how do they cope?” Lassman said.

Chenell Donadee, who was at the Protest Planned Parenthood event and is an intensive care unit physician, said the facts provided about abortion rates and access to family planning and contraceptives may provide an answer that can satisfy both parties.

“So, we want access to family planning and contraception and they want decreased abortions and so the answer is the same,” Donadee said. “That’s to provide education and birth control. Then both sides would get a lot of what they want.”

The Pitt news crossword 2/13/17

parts.” She worked in the past as a neonatal and transplant nurse and said she doesn’t support the methods abortion providers use.

“I took care of babies that they’re aborting at the same gestational age. So I can ensure you that they’re human beings and sensitive to pain,” Donnelly said. “[Planned Parenthood] is doing quite well on their own with $1.3 billion in net assets every year … I don’t know why a taxpayer would have to pay ... for something so heinous in our eyes.”

Pro-choice groups and Planned Parenthood volunteers — holding a pink banner with the words “Health Care Happens Here” scrawled in bold lettering — responded to the protest in kind, gathering on opposite sides of the street to defend the health care provider.

The morning, which was largely attended by former or current health care professionals, proceeded without confrontation or chanting as people drove by or were escorted into the facility. Escorts, who helped individuals get to and from the facility, were easily identified by their pink vests.

About 10 protesters from The International Socialist Organization, a group with a pro-choice stance, stood caddy-corner from Planned Parenthood holding signs that read “Stop the war on women” and “Our bodies, our choice.”

In the fluctuating political climate, abortion has been the subject of debates and marches frequently throughout the past year. Pro-choice advocates marched along Bigelow Boulevard and Forbes Avenue on Pitt’s campus three weeks ago to mark the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.

Since that march, the pro-choice movement has seen some setbacks. The Pennsylvania Legislature passed Senate Bill 3 Feb. 8, which would amend Pennsylvania’s current Abortion Control Act, changing the 24-week cutoff for abortions to 20 weeks, except in instances of medical emergency where there is insufficient time before the abortion is performed.

The bill allows no exceptions for rape, incest or fetal abnormalities, and would also ban the “dilation and evacuation” medical technique.

In previous attempts to defund the ser-

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February 13, 2017

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Opinions column

from the editorial board

Banning vaping prioritizes health Smoking cigarettes represented a large part of American culture for much of the 20th century — but now we know better.

As move into the depths of the 21st, and the harms of smoking become more difficult to ignore, a more modern form of smoking is taking over — the electronic cigarette.

The Health and Human Services Committee of the Allegheny County Council held a public meeting last Monday to hear input from community members about a potential vaping ban. The ban would prohibit vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in the same way it bans smoking and tobacco products, meaning not allowing the usage inside public places. The committee plans to take the more than 30 community members arguments for and against the ban into account and will deliberate at its next meeting whether to pass the bill on for consideration by the full council for its meeting March 1.

The county’s Board of Health first proposed the ban in November 2016,. The bill should pass this time, and we should say goodbye to indoor vaping.

Although e-cigarettes and vaping are often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, it’s not that simple. While a superior choice, vaping isn’t a healthy option by any means as it still poses many similar risks as cigarettes.

E-cigarettes were first invented in the 1960s but weren’t successfully manufactured and produced until 2003, meaning we’re still decades away from conclusive research about long-term effects. But researchers and scientists are already skeptical of the effects of e-cigs today. Since they heat liquid to create the vapor, e-cigs don’t expose users to the same toxins as traditional cigarettes, but the liquids burned can contain nicotine and other cancer-causing chemicals — such as anti-freeze and formaldehyde. And while secondhand vapor is less harmful than secondhand smoke, it can still expose others in the room to toxins. So banning vaping indoors should be an obvious move, even if it only reduces potential toxicity in a room by minimal

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amounts.

The allure and availability of e-cigarettes makes teenagers especially susceptible to getting hooked on vaping. The many options for flavors — bubble gum, coffee, dark chocolate raspberry — combined with the sleek and modern approach make e-cigs the perfect product to market to young people. While the number of middle and high school students who smoke went down from 2011 to 2015, the number of teens vaping increased dramatically, tripling from 660,000 in 2013 to 2 million in 2014, according to reports from the Center for Disease Control. Banning vaping the same way tobacco is banned would signal to students that e-cigarettes aren’t healthy, but are as potentially harmful as cigarettes.

Concerns among opponents of the ban suggest that if people who choose to vape as a method of quitting cigarettes are forced to do so in smoking-only zones, then the little incentive to use the healthier option is mostly taken away. If people have to go outside work, school or a restaurant to vape, they might as well just smoke. But a 2015 National Health Interview Survey found that 58.8 percent of the people who recently used e-cigarettes also smoked regular cigarettes. This means more than half of people using e-cigs don’t use them as a means to quit smoking anyway. And even if they are using vaping in order to quit, the short walk outside shouldn’t be enough to goad them into giving into temptation.

Voting for the ban would illustrate the council’s commitment to prioritizing health for its community and especially its youth — and would put it on par with the 500 other cities and 10 states that already banned vaping in public spaces. Even if it’s done merely preemptively, the ban will show that the county is looking out for the health of smokers and nonsmokers alike.

We get it, you vape — just please don’t make others susceptible to the fruit-scented smoke clouds while walking through public spaces.

FORGIVE SESSIONS’ PAST, FOCUS ON QUALIFICATIONS

Michael Brochstein TNS

Collin Crouse

For The Pitt News Like all of President Donald Trump’s nominations for his cabinet, Jeff Sessions was not exempt from harsh criticism and a grueling confirmation process.

Rumors and hints of who President Trump would nominate for Attorney General became the subject of controversy between senate Democrats and Republicans, as have most of the President’s latest actions in his first few weeks in office.

But Sessions was confirmed as U.S. attorney general last Thursday, in a tight 52-47 vote, meaning he will represent the country on all legal matters, give counsel to the administration, ensure proper enforcement of laws and be responsible for advising on judge appointments to the Supreme Court.

Despite opposition from Democratic senators and liberal-leaning Americans, Sessions

February 13, 2017

is more than qualified to fulfill those duties for the Department of Justice for the next four years — plus, he’s got a history of bipartisanship this country could use desperately. The political left is branding him as racist in attempts to delegitimize his work and his ability to serve in his new position, with little evidence to back these claims. It’s more important to acknowledge Sessions’ qualifications and political history and give him a chance to succeed in his new position rather than argue about his character.

Sessions started his career in 1975 as an assistant attorney and was elected the 44th attorney general of Alabama for a two-year term in 1994, winning the popular vote at 57 percent.

Two years later, Sessions was elected as a U.S. senator, and won four consecutive terms before being officially confirmed as our next attorney general — a role that his decades of experience See Crouse on page 7

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Crouse, pg. 6 upholding the Constitution and commitment to rule of law have primed him to succeed in.

Allegations of racial prejudice first came against Sessions in the 1980s. Reagan’s nomination of Sessions in 1986 to United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama was backed by a majority of the American Bar Association, but the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights and People for the American Way all opposed him. The groups cited an alleged statement made by Sessions after the brutal murder of a young black man by two Klansmen in Mobile, Alabama. After learning the Klansmen smoked marijuana on the night of the murder, Sessions claimed the Klan was “OK until I found out they smoked pot.”

The statement cost Sessions the nomination after Thomas Figures, an assistant attorney under Sessions at the time, testified at the confirmation hearing that he was present when Sessions made the comments.

I’ll admit, it doesn’t sound good. He defended his inappropriate statement by saying he meant it only as a joke. And while he certainly shouldn’t have said this — it’s not a matter to joke about under any circumstance — a few careless words shouldn’t be cited as evidence of him being racist for the rest of his career.

In a letter written by Coretta Scott King in 1986 that urged blocking Sessions appointment to a federal judgeship, King outlined many points she thought would be devastating to the movement her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., worked to create. In her letter she wrote, “Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.” These words came after Sessions tried to prosecute three older African American men for voter fraud as an attorney in 1985. The critics of Sessions said the charges were racially motivated, but it’s not enough evidence to prove claims that Sessions would use his power as a beholder of the law against citizens unfairly.

Since 1986, when King penned the letter, Sessions has become an advocate for civil rights.

Sessions co-sponsored a bill to award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999 and she accepted it with great honor. After Parks’ death in 2005, Sessions gave a passionate tribute to her on the Senate floor, saying, “History will remember Rosa Parks for shaking America’s conscience and changing the course of our nation for the better.”

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The NAACP even honored Sessions in 2009 with an Award of Excellence. Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted a photo earlier this month of the award. After the photo went viral, the NAACP made a statement claiming that it doubts this award was ever given to Sessions — but Snopes, a fact-checking website, confirmed that the photo of the award does exist. One way or another, someone is lying. But it seems nonsensical to create a plaque for yourself when it’s not even on display in your own office.

Sessions undoubtedly has some glaring marks on his record, as does anyone who’s worked in politics for more than 40 years. But few candidates can boast about a resume like Sessions’. Few lawyers have gone beyond prosecuting to hold the position of a state attorney general — a position that mirrors the U.S. attorney general position similar to how governors translate well to presidents. Likewise through his time as Alabama’s attorney general, Sessions will already understand the way law enforcement agencies run and how state governments operate independently of the federal government.

The ever-growing split between America’s two parties is both more prevalent and more worrisome than ever. A study of voting patterns from 1989 shows that senators were more open to voting for issues across party lines, but those in 2013 showed the divide as more dramatic with few senators willing to compromise with the opposite party. Moderate stances and crossparty voting on issues are becoming more rare than ever before. Regardless of what side we lean, both sides need to learn to compromise more — and Sessions’ ability to work on bipartisan issues should calm the nerves of Americans.

Sessions worked with the Democratic Party on a proposal to cut federal nonmilitary spending in 2010 — he and Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., were very close to getting the bill passed, but it fell one vote short. He also co-sponsored the Victims of Child Abuse Reauthorization Act of 2013 with Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., a bipartisan bill that provides funding to Americans that who were abused during childhood.

Both the left and the right need to be more tolerant and understanding when it comes to offering chances. Sessions is not new to politics and the position of attorney general suits him well. His ability to work with the opposing party while also sharing the views of the president and majority of Congress is a trait needed most in Washington, D.C., right now.

Allow his future actions to speak louder than his past words.

Write to Collin at cdc66@pitt.edu.

February 13, 2017

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Sports

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PANTHERS DEVOUR ORANGE, 80-75 Ryan Zimba Staff Writer

After ending a month-long, eight-game losing streak that prompted some to call for the firing of head coach Kevin Stallings, the Pitt men’s basketball team is now on a winning streak.

The Panthers (14-11 overall, 3-9 ACC) won their second straight contest Saturday afternoon, beating the Syracuse Orange (16-10 overall, 8-5 ACC) at the Petersen Events Center, 80-75.

Sophomore guard Cameron Johnson led all scorers with 22 points on only nine shots, converting six-of-eight attempts from 3-point range. Senior forward Michael Young added 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the upset victory.

“Really proud of our team, proud of the way we played,” Stallings said. “I thought we played

really well. I thought we followed the game plan … Our approach against the zone was much better today.”

Johnson said he spent extra time preparing for the game and expected to put on a good shooting performance.

“I got extra shots up last night, I got a couple up this morning,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to make sure I got into a good rhythm going into the game, and it worked out.”

The Orange started strong, jumping out to a 7-1 lead with two consecutive baskets by guard Andrew White III. But Pitt kept it close, cutting the deficit to 13-10 with back-to-back dunks by Young.

At the second media timeout, Syracuse still held a three-point lead at 15-12. Despite the slim margin, the Orange had shot 70 percent to the Panthers’ 33.3 percent.

Pitt surged in the ensuing stretch, tying the

game at 17 on a 3-point basket by Johnson. The Panthers then took their first lead since they were up 1-0 on a jump shot by senior forward Sheldon Jeter.

A 3-point basket by Johnson capped a 13-3 run, putting Pitt up 24-18 with under six minutes to go in the half and forcing Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim to call a timeout. Play was relatively even to close the half, but Panthers point guard Jamel Artis hit a pair of free throws with less than a second to go, giving Pitt a 35-28 lead heading into the break.

Rebounding was the difference in the opening half, as the Panthers crushed the Orange 26-9 in that statistic. Of the team’s 26 rebounds, 11 came on the offensive end — a lofty total even against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense.

Johnson was the only player in double figures at the half, with all 12 of his points coming from four 3-pointers.

“Cam needs to step forward against teams that zone, because he can really shoot,” Stallings said. “Cam was very efficient today. He was aggressive.”

Syracuse guard John Gillon led the way for the Orange with nine points on 3-5 shooting.

Both offenses struggled at the outset of the second half, scoring only six points combined before the first media timeout. Young tallied four while Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon scored the other two, and with 15:19 to go, Pitt held a 39-30 advantage.

The teams went back and forth in the next couple of minutes, with the Panthers’ lead growing to 11 after a pair of free throws from Young with 12:44 left to play. The Orange responded on their next possession, as Lydon drained a 3-pointer to make it 47-39, Pitt.

Halfway through the second, Boeheim See Basketball on page 9

THINK TWICE: PANTHERS BEAT IOWA STATE, UVA Rebecca Sauers For The Pitt News

After a tumultuous month in which the Pitt wrestling team underwent a midseason coaching change and dropped its first three conference matches, the Panthers hit their stride this weekend.

No. 24 Pitt (10-5 overall, 1-3 ACC) went 2-0 over the weekend, defeating the Iowa State Cyclones at home Friday night by a score of 22-15, then besting the No. 23 Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Sunday, 19-14.

Both wins came after a disappointing result against No. 8 NC State on Feb. 3, in which the Panthers fell just short of a massive upset in a 23-15 defeat.

“Coming off our match last week at NC State, we didn’t come out with a win, but I thought we came out with a lot of momenTaleb Rahmani throws Iowa State opponent Colston DiBlasi before pin- tum with our guys,” acting co-head coach ning him in the third period. Anna Drew Headlee said after Friday’s meet.

Bongardino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER “There’s a lot of motivation going into the

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team. We’re staying headstrong.”

The 133-pounders kicked off Friday’s competition, as No. 8 Dom Forys took on the Cyclones’ No. 12 Earl Hall Jr. The two wrestlers met last year in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 12 with All-American status on the line. Hall won in a 13-7 decision, but Forys exacted revenge Friday, winning 6-2.

“The Round of 12, they call it the Blood Rounds,” Forys said. “It was heartbreaking [getting eliminated last year], but it feels good tonight.”

Headlee said defeating a returning AllAmerican — especially one who already held a win over Forys — will pay dividends for Pitt’s top wrestler moving forward.

“That match [against Hall] was what kept [Forys] out of the NCAA Tournament last year and kept him from being All-American,” Headlee said. [It’s] been on replay in his brain and getting that match back gives him a lot of confidence going into the postseason.”

February 13, 2017

Nick Zanetta followed Forys’ lead, defeating John Meeks in a 9-4 decision in the 141-pound match. Iowa State’s 149-pounder Gabe Moreno arrested the Panthers momentum just minutes later by pinning Pitt senior Mikey Racciato in the first period. Although Racciato generally comes out of transitional moments with the advantage, Friday night he could not regain his bearings.

“Mikey has a style that no one else has, he’s kind of a funky style wrestler,” Headlee said, denying the suggestion that Racciato’s time off the mat lent to his loss. “Nine times out of 10, he probably comes out on top, but this situation wasn’t in his favor.”

The Cyclones couldn’t celebrate for long, as redshirt freshman Taleb Rahmani picked up his team-leading eighth fall against redshirt freshman Colston DiBlasi to improve to 17-6 on the season.

Find the full story online at

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Softball, pg. 1 The junior pitcher held the Wildcats scoreless over the first four innings, but Kentucky pitcher Meagan Prince did the same. The Panthers then loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fifth, and sophomore third baseman Olivia Gray brought home the first run of the game on a fielder’s choice.

That brought senior first baseman Kaitlin Manuel, who already had two hits in the game, to the plate. Manuel knocked her third single of the afternoon to left field to give Pitt a 3-0 lead, and that was all the help Harris would need.

“We got real quality at-bats from Kait today,” Pitt head coach Holly Aprile said Friday in a press release. “She came up big. In general, we just had good poise at the plate.”

Wildcats catcher Jenny Schaper belted a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 3-1 game, but Harris silenced Kentucky’s bats the rest of the way. She allowed one run on five hits in the complete game victory.

First-year pitcher Brittany Knight made the first start of her college career later in the day, and if she had any nerves competing on the big stage for the first time, she didn’t show it.

Knight mowed down the UCF Knights’ lineup on her way to a complete game shutout.

She allowed three hits, walked two and struck out four in the dominant debut.

“I thought Brittany was great,” Aprile said in the release. “She was behind in a few counts but battled back in all of those. She moved the ball well and showed a lot of poise. I am really proud of her.”

Again Pitt went four innings without scoring, then got on the board in the fifth on an RBI double by first-year right fielder Connor McGaffic. The Panthers then added three more in the sixth, highlighted by three straight doubles from Zeremenko, shortstop McKayla Taylor and Gray.

Taylor added another RBI double in the seventh to cap off Pitt’s 6-0 victory.

“We played two great games and really played well in every phase of the game,” Aprile said. “We did a great job, particularly on the mound, where we set a good tone. It was great to be out, to be playing and to play well.”

Harris took the mound Saturday morning for another showdown with the Wildcats, holding them to three runs on three hits over five innings to pick up her second win in as many days.

Knight came in for two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the first save of her career in the Panthers’ 6-3 win.

Knight went right back out to start Pitt’s next game against Florida A&M Saturday afternoon, giving up two runs on four hits in a 5-2 win for

the Panthers. Sophomore pitcher Sarah Dawson pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief to earn her first save of the season.

“We got off to a good start and were playing loose,” Aprile said Saturday in a press release. “We were feeling confident in ourselves and just wanted to go out and play our game. We tried not to do too much and stayed within ourselves.”

Pitt got off to a faster start on Sunday, scoring two runs in the top of the first, but the Knights tied it up with a pair in the bottom of the third.

Both teams then went scoreless for the next four innings, sending the game to extra innings.

The Panthers didn’t wait long to break the game open, erupting for four runs in the top of the eighth inning.

First, Manuel drew a bases-loaded walk to give Pitt a 3-2 lead, then Gray followed with a bases-clearing double to make it 6-2. Knight allowed an unearned run in the bottom half, but limited the damage to just one run to finish off the 6-3 win — giving her three wins in only three days as a college pitcher.

The Panthers will look to keep their undefeated record intact next weekend at the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge in Tallahassee, Florida. Pitt will face off with the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, for the first of four games in Tallahassee.

The Pitt News SuDoku 2/13/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

pittnews.com

February 13, 2017

Basketball, pg. 8 chose to switch up his defensive strategy, employing a full-court press to try to slow down the Panthers’ offense. The strategy forced Pitt into several turnovers, but the Orange couldn’t convert on the offensive side of the floor, and a 3-pointer by Johnson gave the Panthers a 12-point lead with 8:59 to play.

But Orange kept up the pressure and eventually it paid dividends.

With 50 seconds to go, Syracuse had the ball down by four. The Orange passed the ball inside to Lydon, who was all alone under the basket. But Lydon couldn’t corral the ball for what would have been an easy basket to make it a two-point game, instead letting it go out of bounds off his hands.

Johnson hit two free throws on Pitt’s next possession, but the Orange kept cutting into the lead. Then, with less than four seconds to go, Jeter went to the line with his team up by three and a chance to seal the game. He made both free throws, and the Panthers hung on to win 80-75. “[It] feels like we’re playing better to me. It’s felt like that the last couple of weeks,” Stallings said. “It was nice to have playing better translate into a win.”

After being last place in the ACC just three days ago, the Panthers are now tied for 12th place in the conference with the Clemson Tigers. Young attributed the team’s recent change of fortunes to its desire to get out of the cellar.

“When you’re at the bottom of the league, no one’s taking you seriously, and when you get blown out consecutive games in a row, that hits your pride,” Young said. “Once your pride gets hit, you’ve got to man up or shut up.”

The Panthers will play at the Pete Tuesday, Feb. 14, when they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies at 7 p.m.

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