Softball takes 2 of 3 from N.C State

Pitt opened up ACC Conference play this weekend down in Raleigh, N.C against the N.C State Wolfpack and the weekend didn’t exactly get started the way the Panthers wanted it to.

In Game 1 on Friday, both teams were scoreless thru 4 innings until the Wolfpack broke things open with a 4 run fifth inning and a 3 run sixth inning to win the opening game of the series 7-0.  The Stars of the Game were two members of the Wolfpack, Shurbutt (3B) was 1-2 with a HR, 3 RBI and Compton (SS) was 3 for 3 with a run scored.

It wasn’t the best day on the mound for Panthers Pitcher Sarah Dawson who went 5 innings giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and only recorded one strikeout.  It was a quiet day for the offense as Giorgiana Zeremenko (C) was the only Panther to record multiple hits as she was 2 for 3 on the day.

To say Pitt rebounded on Saturday would be an understatement as they started the game fast scoring 3 runs in the first inning and they didn’t look back as they added 1 more in the fourth, 3 more in the sixth and 2 in the seventh to win Game Two 9-1.

The Stars of the Game for the Panthers were McKayla Taylor (3B) who was 3 for 3 with a HR, Double, 4 RBI and scored twice. and the pitching duo of Kayla Harris and Brittany Knight.  Harris started the game with 2 scoreless innings and Knight finished the last 5 innings only yielding 1 run and 2 hits.

The series finale was this (Sunday) afternoon in Raleigh and after 3 scoreless innings, both offenses woke up as the Panthers took a 4-0 lead behind a 2-run HR by Taylor Myers (OF).  Panthers Pitcher Taylor Rahach was rolling along before running into some trouble in the 6th inning when N.C State loaded the bases with no outs and she was relieved by Brittany Knight who unfortunately couldn’t put the fire out and was then relieved by Sarah Dawson as the Wolfpack scored 3 runs and still had no out.

N.C State scored 1 more run off of Dawson, but she was able to put the fire out and the Panthers went back to work in the Top half of the 7th inning to retake the lead from the Wolfpack.  The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs and after an N.C State pitching change, Myers was hit by a pitch which brought home a run, Olivia Gray (SS) brought home another run on an infield single and Connor McGaffic brought home a run with a Sac Fly to give the Panthers a 7-4 lead heading to the last half of the 7th.

The Wolfpack started their half of the 7th with a lead-off HR, but Dawson was able to settle down and force three straight ground outs to help the Panthers take the series against N.C State with a 7-5 victory.

Pitt is now 10-6-1 overall on the season (2-1 in the ACC) which puts them in 1st Place in the ACC Coastal.  The Panthers are back in action with a doubleheader on Wednesday in Miami, FL against FIU with the first game starting at 5 pm.

Tickets for the doubleheader are available here: https://tinyurl.com/yclxrrvy or at the gate at FIU.  If you are traveling to the game here are directions to Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium: https://tinyurl.com/yaj5sdqz and some hotels near the stadium here: https://tinyurl.com/y7dsnq3j.

Following the doubleheader against FIU Wednesday, Pitt opens up play in the Panthers Weekend Tournament in Boca Raton, FL on Thursday.