Panthers Continue Road Stint at Virginia Tech

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh Softball team continues ACC play as the squad heads to Blacksburg, Va., to take on the Hokies in a three-game series this weekend at Tech Softball Park.

THE SCHEDULE

Originally set to play one game Friday, March 23, the Panthers and Hokies will now play a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m., eliminating Sunday's contest.
Saturday's game, slated for 12 p.m., will remain as scheduled, though fans should stay tuned for further updates on PittsburghPanthers.com or Twitter. All times and dates are subject to change.

HOW TO FOLLOW

All games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra through WatchESPN.
Live stats will be available for all games.
Fans can follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT

After spring break, Pitt returned to ACC Play, taking on North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Panthers went 2-1 on the weekend, winning their second conference series of the season. Pitt dropped the opening game 8-4, before bouncing back to with the second game 6-3 and the series finale 10-2 in six innings.
Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko continued her wrath at the plate as she finished the weekend with a .700 average, going 7-for-10 at the plate with six extra-base hits including three home runs and three doubles, one of each in every game. The senior tallied six RBIs, while scoring four times herself after reaching base safely in nine of her 12 appearances. With her four runs scored, she now sits fifth all-time in the category with 116. Zeremenko was also intentionally walked twice on the weekend, in her final two appearances. On the series, she reached base 75 percent of the time and posted a 1.900 slugging percentage.

THE SERIES

Pitt trails Virginia Tech in the all-time series, 7-17, while the squad is 0-9 on the road in Blacksburg, Va.
In the Panthers last meeting against the Hokies, the team won 8-0 in a five-inning game at Vartabedian Field, April 9, 2017.
Pitt and Virginia Tech first met March 7, 1999. The Panthers fell to the Hokes 3-0.

SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH

Virginia Tech enters the weekend with an 11-15 overall record and 1-5 mark in ACC play.
In their last action, the Hokies took on Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. Virginia tech was swept by the Seminoles.
Emma Strouth and Caroline Schoenewald lead the Hokies at the plate. Strouth holds a team-best .321 average, 25 hits and 12 RBIs. Schoenewald is currently hitting .289 with 22 hits and five doubles and two home runs.
Carrie Eberle leads the Hokies in the circle with a 1.55 ERA. She has four wins on the season in 14 appearances and has tossed nine complete games including three shutouts.

GOING YARD

With 1.15 home runs per game, the Panthers sit 15^th in the nation this week in the category. In the ACC, the squad holds the second spot. Pitt has blasted 31 long balls in 27 games.
Nine different players have hit a homer, including a team-leading 10 by senior Giorgiana Zeremenko, who ranks 14^th in the nation in home runs, 15^th in the nation in home runs per game and leads the ACC in both categories.
Zeremenko became the all-time leader in the category at the B1G/ACC Challenge, notching her 35^th home run. She was the leading home run hitter for Pitt the past two seasons including 2016 when she set the single-season record with 17. She now has 41 in her career.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING

Pitt's defense ranks first in the ACC with 0.52 double plays per game, good for 13^th overall in the nation.
The Panthers have turned 14 double plays this season.

MYERS MAKING MOVES IN ACC PLAY

Seeing substantial playing time for the first time in her career, junior Taylor Myers has proved to be an asset both at the plate and in the outfield for the Panthers.
In conference play, Myers ranks second on the team with a .538 batting average. In 13 at-bats, she has produced seven hits, two of which have been doubles and one long ball. The junior also owns six RBIs and five runs scored. Myers has also been hit with a team-leading four pitches.
Defensively, she has seen her time in the outfield increase, playing all three positions. She owns 10 putouts in ACC play and a perfect fielding percentage.
Overall, Myers his hitting .273 with 12 hits and eight RBIs, while boasting 29 putouts and no errors in the field.

THE ZEREMENKO ZONE

Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko has been on a wrath at the plate in 2018 for the Panthers.
On the season, the Canonsburg, Pa., native is leading the team in multiple categories including average (.372), hits (32), doubles (nine), home runs (10), RBIs (18), slugging percentage (.826) and walks (11).
In conference play, Zeremenko has been unstoppable, tallying 10 hits in 18 at-bats to hit .556. She has already recorded three doubles and three home runs in six games, while producing six RBIs and five runs scored. Zeremenko has reached base in 65 percent of her appearances.
She ranks 14^th in the nation in home runs, 15^th in the nation in home runs per game and leads the ACC in both categories.

TAYLOR AT THE PLATE

In her final season with the Panthers, senior McKayla Taylor continues her dominance at the plate.
Taylor has reached back in nine straight games and is hitting .268 on the season with 22 hits, 18 runs scored and 13 RBI.
Against NC State, Taylor recorded her 128^th RBI, setting a new program record as she passes Holly Stevens who set the record with 127 from 2010-13. The senior now has 129 in her career.
Her record-breaking weekend saw her record six hits in 11 at-bats to hit .545 against the Wolfpack. The senior put up four RBIs and scored twice. Two of Taylor's hits were for extra bases as he blasted a three-run homer and an RBI-double in game two. On the weekend, she finished with a .909 slugging percentage and a .583 on-base percentage.
She was perfect in game two of the NC State series, reaching base in all four appearances at the plate. She went 3-for-3 with a homer, double and was hit by a pitch. Taylor also posted a team-leading four RBI. She continued her dominance in game three, extending her reached base streak to seven straight appearances dating back to Saturday's contest after producing three singles in her first three at-bats. Defensively, Taylor finished the weekend at third perfectly with 13 assists and three putouts.

FRESHMAN STANDOUT

After starting the season out in the bottom of the batting order, freshman Hunter Levesque worked her way into the top half of the order after picking up her game.
Levesque is hitting .284 with 19 hits, 10 runs scored and two home runs.
The freshman has reached base in seven straight games, dating back to Pitt's game versus FIU March 7 and is currently on four game hitting streak.

SOLAK SHOWING OFF

Junior Alexis Solak has proved to be one of the Panthers most consistent hitters at the plate.
The junior boasts eight games in which she has recorded multiple hits and has reached base in each of the last six games.
Solak is currently hitting .294 and ranks second on the team with 25 hits and 16 runs scored.
From Feb. 10 to Feb. 24, Solak reached the base paths in 10-straight games.

HARRIS' LAST HURRAH

Senior pitcher Kayla Harris looks to finish out her career in the circle for the Panthers on a high note.
Harris is currently 5-1 on the season in and 2-0 in ACC play. In 15 total appearances, 11 of which she started, Harris has tossed five complete games, including three shutouts.
In 60.1 innings pitched, Harris has struck out 21, while giving up just seven walks, a team low.
In conference play, Harris boasts a 1.75 ERA after three appearances and has held her opponents to a .200 average against.

DOMINANT DAWSON

Junior pitcher Sarah Dawson has been dominant in the circle for Pitt so far in 2018.
Dawson is currently 8-7 on the season. In a team leading 65.1 innings pitched, she has struck out 35 batters and owns a 2.25 ERA. Dawson has also held her opponents to a .244 average.
In a win over Coastal Carolina, Dawson pitched a complete game and struck out a career-high seven batters.
At the B1G/ACC Challenge, the junior gave up just five earned runs in 13.1 innings pitched, while striking out 11 total batters. Four of those earned runs came in the opening game of the weekend, leaving Dawson almost perfect after that.
Against Illinois Feb. 18, Dawson started the game and pitched all but one frame in the five-inning game, as she and Brittany Knight combined to toss the team's first shutout victory, 9-0. Dawson struck out five on the day and walked just one batter against the Illini.

LOCAL LEADER

Local product Olivia Gray, who hails from Washington, Pa., just south of Pittsburgh and attended Trinity High School, has grown to become one of Pitt's top players.
Gray, who started all of 2017 at third base and the beginning of the 2018 slate, has since become the starting shortstop. She boasts a .292 career average with 102 hits.
This season, Gray is hitting .253 with 22 hits, including four extra-base hits.
Gray hit .353 in the team's opening weekend boasting a team-leading six hits, including one triple and four runs scored.

UP NEXT

Pitt will close out its road stint with its 31^st straight away game at Ohio University, Tuesday, March 27 at 5 p.m. before welcoming Duke to Pittsburgh for its first home series of the season.

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Panthers Continue Road Stint at Virginia Tech

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sarah Dawson

Olivia Gray

Kayla Harris

Brittany Knight

Hunter Levesque

Taylor Myers

Alexis Solak

McKayla Taylor

Giorgiana Zeremenko

Panthers Continue Road Stint at Virginia Tech

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sarah Dawson

Olivia Gray

Kayla Harris

Brittany Knight

Hunter Levesque

Taylor Myers

Alexis Solak

McKayla Taylor

Giorgiana Zeremenko

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