Saturday, February 10
Fullerton, Calif.
4:00 PM EST
Pitt
3-0
6
vs
2
Rutgers
1-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Pittsburgh
0
3
0
0
1
0
2
6
9
1
Rutgers
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
6
1
Panthers Split on Day Two of Titan Classic
2/11/2018 1:06:00 AM | Softball
Pitt defeats Rutgers, Falls to Cal State Fullerton in Offensive Battle
FULLERTON, Calif. – The University of Pittsburgh softball team split on day two of the Titan Classic, defeating Rutgers before falling in an offensive battle to Cal State Fullerton Saturday, Feb. 10 at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, Calif.
Pitt opened the day with a 6-2 win over the Scarlet Knights, as the Panthers tallied nine hits en route to the win. Three different players tallied two hits in juniors Olivia Gray and Alexis Solak and sophomore Connor McGaffic. Freshman Hunter Levesque had Pitt's lone home run of the game in her first career-hit.
In the circle, junior Sarah Dawson got the start, recording three strikeouts in four innings pitched. Junior Taylor Rahach relieved Dawson at the start of the fifth to earn her first-career save. The Coastal Carolina transfer tossed three complete innings, giving up two runs while striking out three.
In a battle of the bats, the Panthers fell in game two of the day to the host team, 10-7. The game was a back-and-forth affair as each team led twice before Fullerton remained ahead. The game consisted of 17 total runs, 21 hits and six errors, as five of those plagued the Panthers.
Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko was Pitt's top hitter in the contest, going 3-for-4 with a home run and double. McGaffic, who had two hits in the game and two RBI, picked up her second long ball of the day during the game in the fifth. Along with the sophomore, senior Erin Hershman and junior Gabrielle Fredericks each added two RBI.
The Panthers pitching staff was in full swing against the Titans as Cal State Fullerton faced starting pitcher Kayla Harris in addition to both Dawson and Rahach. Harris gave up six hits and four runs, three unearned, in three innings pitched.
Dawson, who entered in the fourth, recorded the loss after giving up the lead. Rahach closed out the game after just a one-inning outing from Dawson.
Game One Rundown: Pitt 6, Rutgers 2
After a scoreless first, the Panthers got out to a 3-0 lead in the second thanks to a wild pitch and a two-run blast by Levesque. Senior McKayla Taylor got the inning going, reaching first after being hit by a pitch and advancing to second on a sac bunt by Hershman. A walk to McGaffic put runners on first and second, which quickly turned to first and third after sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger hit into a fielder's choice leaving McGaffic hanging at second.
With Levesque at the plate, Taylor took home on a wild pitch to give Pitt its first run of the game. A pitch later, the freshman earned her first-career home run with a shot down the left field line.
The Panthers struck again in the fifth, taking a 4-0 lead on an RBI-single by junior Alexis Solak. The junior brought home Gray after leading off the inning with Pitt's first triple of the season.
Rutgers cut the Panthers' lead to two in the fifth on a leadoff, pinch-hit home run and wild pitch. Following the leadoff blast, Pitt picked up two quick outs but a walk, double and an error set up runners on second and third. A wild pitch allowed the runner on third to cross the plate.
The Panthers' bats got hot again in the final inning of play as they put up two runs on three hits to bring the score to 6-2. The inning starting with a leadoff single from Gray, who advanced to second on a sac bunt by Solak. Rutgers put a second runner on after intentionally walking power-hitter Zeremenko, only to give up a double to Fredericks bringing in Gray for the first run of the inning. The second run came on a bases-loaded sac fly by Hershman. Zeremenko tagged up from third to bring the score to 6-2.
Rahach, who entered for Dawson in the fifth closed out the game to record her first save.
Game Two Rundown: Cal State Fullerton 10, Pitt 7
Pitt took a quick lead in game two of the day after putting up a single run in the opening inning of play.
Gray, the Panthers' leadoff hitter, got things going right off the bat as she sent a ball through the left side for a single. She moved to second on a sac bunt by Solak and advanced to third on a dribbler by Zeremenko. Fredericks brought Gray home on a fielder's choice to short.
Cal State Fullerton evened the score in the bottom half of the inning on a sac fly to left field. With one away, the Titans loaded the bases on back-to-back hits and an error. This set up a high fly out by Zoe Richard, allowing Sammie Vandiver to tag up and score.
After a scoreless top of the second for the Panthers, Fullerton took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half on a bases-clearing double by Air Williams, scoring Sam Kennedy and Brooke Clemetson.
A four-run inning for Pitt in the third put the Panthers back on top 5-3. A leadoff solo shot by Zeremenko got things going, cutting the Titans' lead to one. Fredericks kept thigs going with a single to left and she was joined on the base paths by Taylor, who walked. The two runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, before crossing home to take the lead on a bases-clearing double by Hershman.
Five batters passed before Fullerton recorded its first out of the frame, but the Panthers didn't let up as McGaffic ripped an RBI-single bringing around Hershman for the final run of the inning.
The Titans got a run back in the bottom of the third following a double and an RBI-single, but Pitt remained out in front, 5-4.
A four-run inning for Fullerton put the Titans back on top, 8-5, at the end of the fourth, after Dawson replaced Harris on the mound to start the frame. The junior gave up a base hit to start the inning, and a walk and single with one out to load the bases.
The first run came across as Taylor committed an error on a routine ground ball, with the second to follow in the next at-bat as Dawson issued a bases-loaded walk. Cal State Fullerton's final two runs of the inning came on a single by Bryanna Ybarra.
The Panthers put up a single run in the top of the fifth, on a two-out solo shot by McGaffic, bringing Pitt back within two, 8-6.
The Titans bats remained hot in the fifth as they score two runs off of Rahach, who entered to relieve Dawson of her duties, to extend their lead to 10-6. Fullerton put up the two runs on a bases-loaded single and a sac fly to left.
The Panthers chipped away at the home team's lead as a sac fly by Fredericks scored Gray in the top of the sixth, but Pitt would have to settle for just one run as they left one stranded. The Titans remained out in front 10-7.
After holding Fullerton scoreless in sixth, the Panthers comeback attempt fell short in the seventh. Pitt had runners on first and second but a 4-6-3 double play ended the game.
Up Next
The Panthers will wrap up play at the Titan Classic with a final game against Loyola Marymount. The two teams will face each other for the second time this weekend with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. EST.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Pitt opened the day with a 6-2 win over the Scarlet Knights, as the Panthers tallied nine hits en route to the win. Three different players tallied two hits in juniors Olivia Gray and Alexis Solak and sophomore Connor McGaffic. Freshman Hunter Levesque had Pitt's lone home run of the game in her first career-hit.
In the circle, junior Sarah Dawson got the start, recording three strikeouts in four innings pitched. Junior Taylor Rahach relieved Dawson at the start of the fifth to earn her first-career save. The Coastal Carolina transfer tossed three complete innings, giving up two runs while striking out three.
In a battle of the bats, the Panthers fell in game two of the day to the host team, 10-7. The game was a back-and-forth affair as each team led twice before Fullerton remained ahead. The game consisted of 17 total runs, 21 hits and six errors, as five of those plagued the Panthers.
Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko was Pitt's top hitter in the contest, going 3-for-4 with a home run and double. McGaffic, who had two hits in the game and two RBI, picked up her second long ball of the day during the game in the fifth. Along with the sophomore, senior Erin Hershman and junior Gabrielle Fredericks each added two RBI.
The Panthers pitching staff was in full swing against the Titans as Cal State Fullerton faced starting pitcher Kayla Harris in addition to both Dawson and Rahach. Harris gave up six hits and four runs, three unearned, in three innings pitched.
Dawson, who entered in the fourth, recorded the loss after giving up the lead. Rahach closed out the game after just a one-inning outing from Dawson.
Game One Rundown: Pitt 6, Rutgers 2
After a scoreless first, the Panthers got out to a 3-0 lead in the second thanks to a wild pitch and a two-run blast by Levesque. Senior McKayla Taylor got the inning going, reaching first after being hit by a pitch and advancing to second on a sac bunt by Hershman. A walk to McGaffic put runners on first and second, which quickly turned to first and third after sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger hit into a fielder's choice leaving McGaffic hanging at second.
With Levesque at the plate, Taylor took home on a wild pitch to give Pitt its first run of the game. A pitch later, the freshman earned her first-career home run with a shot down the left field line.
The Panthers struck again in the fifth, taking a 4-0 lead on an RBI-single by junior Alexis Solak. The junior brought home Gray after leading off the inning with Pitt's first triple of the season.
Rutgers cut the Panthers' lead to two in the fifth on a leadoff, pinch-hit home run and wild pitch. Following the leadoff blast, Pitt picked up two quick outs but a walk, double and an error set up runners on second and third. A wild pitch allowed the runner on third to cross the plate.
The Panthers' bats got hot again in the final inning of play as they put up two runs on three hits to bring the score to 6-2. The inning starting with a leadoff single from Gray, who advanced to second on a sac bunt by Solak. Rutgers put a second runner on after intentionally walking power-hitter Zeremenko, only to give up a double to Fredericks bringing in Gray for the first run of the inning. The second run came on a bases-loaded sac fly by Hershman. Zeremenko tagged up from third to bring the score to 6-2.
Rahach, who entered for Dawson in the fifth closed out the game to record her first save.
Game Two Rundown: Cal State Fullerton 10, Pitt 7
Pitt took a quick lead in game two of the day after putting up a single run in the opening inning of play.
Gray, the Panthers' leadoff hitter, got things going right off the bat as she sent a ball through the left side for a single. She moved to second on a sac bunt by Solak and advanced to third on a dribbler by Zeremenko. Fredericks brought Gray home on a fielder's choice to short.
Cal State Fullerton evened the score in the bottom half of the inning on a sac fly to left field. With one away, the Titans loaded the bases on back-to-back hits and an error. This set up a high fly out by Zoe Richard, allowing Sammie Vandiver to tag up and score.
After a scoreless top of the second for the Panthers, Fullerton took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half on a bases-clearing double by Air Williams, scoring Sam Kennedy and Brooke Clemetson.
A four-run inning for Pitt in the third put the Panthers back on top 5-3. A leadoff solo shot by Zeremenko got things going, cutting the Titans' lead to one. Fredericks kept thigs going with a single to left and she was joined on the base paths by Taylor, who walked. The two runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, before crossing home to take the lead on a bases-clearing double by Hershman.
Five batters passed before Fullerton recorded its first out of the frame, but the Panthers didn't let up as McGaffic ripped an RBI-single bringing around Hershman for the final run of the inning.
The Titans got a run back in the bottom of the third following a double and an RBI-single, but Pitt remained out in front, 5-4.
A four-run inning for Fullerton put the Titans back on top, 8-5, at the end of the fourth, after Dawson replaced Harris on the mound to start the frame. The junior gave up a base hit to start the inning, and a walk and single with one out to load the bases.
The first run came across as Taylor committed an error on a routine ground ball, with the second to follow in the next at-bat as Dawson issued a bases-loaded walk. Cal State Fullerton's final two runs of the inning came on a single by Bryanna Ybarra.
The Panthers put up a single run in the top of the fifth, on a two-out solo shot by McGaffic, bringing Pitt back within two, 8-6.
The Titans bats remained hot in the fifth as they score two runs off of Rahach, who entered to relieve Dawson of her duties, to extend their lead to 10-6. Fullerton put up the two runs on a bases-loaded single and a sac fly to left.
The Panthers chipped away at the home team's lead as a sac fly by Fredericks scored Gray in the top of the sixth, but Pitt would have to settle for just one run as they left one stranded. The Titans remained out in front 10-7.
After holding Fullerton scoreless in sixth, the Panthers comeback attempt fell short in the seventh. Pitt had runners on first and second but a 4-6-3 double play ended the game.
Up Next
The Panthers will wrap up play at the Titan Classic with a final game against Loyola Marymount. The two teams will face each other for the second time this weekend with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. EST.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dawson, Sarah (2-0)
L: Cambria Keefer (0-2)
S: Rahach, Taylor (1)
Batting:
2B: Fredericks, Gabrielle 1
3B: Gray, Olivia 1
HR: Levesque, Hunter 1
RBI: Solak, Alexis 1 ; Fredericks, Gabrielle 1 ; Hershman, Erin 1 ; Levesque, Hunter 2
SH: Solak, Alexis 1 ; Hershman, Erin 1
SF: Hershman, Erin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gray, Olivia 2 ; Zeremenko, Giorgiana 1 ; Taylor, McKayla 1 ; Kruger, Kaitlyn 1 ; Levesque, Hunter 1
HBP: Taylor, McKayla 2
Batting:
2B: Sierra Maddox 1
HR: Nicole Bowman 1
RBI: Nicole Bowman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rebecca Hall 1 ; Nicole Bowman 1
SB: Erin Collins 1
HBP: Erin Collins 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballINF/C
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ SoftballHighlights | Pitt vs. Virginia Tech
Friday, April 18
Highlights | Pitt at Penn State
Tuesday, April 15
Highlights | Pitt vs. Duke
Saturday, April 12
Cami Compson Home Run Highlight
Tuesday, May 21