Friday, April 13
Pittsburgh, Pa.
4:00 PM EST
Pitt
21-15-1, 10-5
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Georgia Tech
21-19, 7-6
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Georgia Tech
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Pitt
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Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics
Panthers Split Doubleheader with Yellow Jackets
4/13/2018 9:54:00 PM | Softball
Pitt earned a game one victory before losing to Georgia Tech in game two.
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team split its doubleheader with Georgia Tech after taking game one and dropping game two Friday evening at Vartabedian Field.
Pitt [21-16-1, 10-6 ACC] defeated Georgia Tech [22-19, 8-6 ACC] 4-2 in game one, before losing the backend of the doubleheader, 8-6.
Junior Sarah Dawson earned the start in game one, where she finished with a complete-game win after surrendering just three hits and two runs while striking out seven. The junior retired 12 consecutive Yellow Jacket batters to open the game, adding five strikeouts through the first four frames.
Game two saw three Panther pitchers take the mound in senior Kayla Harris, junior Taylor Rahach and Dawson. Harris started the game, but was pulled early after giving up five runs in the first frame. Rahach then subbed in for Harris, giving up one run while collecting five strikeouts through four innings of work. Dawson made her second appearance in as many games after subbing in for Rahach in the middle of the fifth, giving up two runs in 2.2 innings of action while taking the loss.
Offensively, Pitt had five players with multi-hit efforts in the doubleheader. Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko went 2-for-3 in game one while adding three RBIs and a run. The senior blasted a three-run bomb to left center in the fifth inning to give the Panthers a commanding 4-0 lead.
In game two, freshman Hunter Levesque, sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger and junior Olivia Gray all posted two-hit days while junior Alexis Solak turned in a three-hit effort. Levesque went 2-for-4 in the game while adding a run. Kruger added a 2-for-4 showing while recording a home run and four RBIs. Gray went 2-for-4 in game two while Solak went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs.
Game One Scoring Summary: Pitt 4, Georgia Tech 2
Pitt got off to a strong start, scoring one in the opening inning of play to take the lead. Two doubles led to the run as senior McKayla Taylor led off with one down the right field line. The second came from Gray with one away, scoring Taylor on the play.
After three scoreless frames, the Panthers added three insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 4-0. All three runs were curtesy of Zeremenko, as the senior blasted home run number 12 of the season with junior Taylor Myers and Taylor on base. Myers reached with two away on a fielding error by the Georgia Tech third baseman, while Taylor walked in the next at-bat to set up the long ball for Zeremenko.
The Yellow Jackets comeback attempt fell short in the final inning of the game, scoring just two runs to cut Pitt's lead in half. Georgia Tech scored both runs on a two-run shot to left center with no outs. Dawson retired the following three Yellow Jacket batters in order to end the game, notching her career-high tying seventh strikeout in the final out.
Game Two Scoring Summary: Georgia Tech 8, Pitt 6
Pitt struggled out of the gate in game two, giving up six runs to Georgia Tech in the opening frame. The Yellow Jackets recorded six hits in the inning, starting with a double in the opening at-bat of the frame. Harris issued a walk to the next batter to put two runners on. A single scored the first run of the game, before Harris picked up her first out, a strikeout looking. With runners still on second and third, back-to-back hits scored three more to extend Georgia Tech's lead to 4-0.
Rahach entered in relief of Harris at this point, coming into the game with one away and a runner on first. Rahach struck out the first batter she faced looking, but walked the second to put two runners on. A third runner joined the ranks after being hit with a pitch. The final hit of the inning, a double down the left field line, scored the last two runs of the frame to make it 6-0, Yellow Jackets.
A three-run homer in the bottom of the second, curtesy of Kruger, pulled the Panthers back within striking distance of Georgia Tech. Pitt led off with consecutive singles from Levesque and Solak, before Kruger struck with one away, putting the score at 6-3 heading into the third.
Pitt's bats remained hot in the third, as the squad posted two runs to cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to one, 6-5. Taylor led off the frame with a solo shot to center field for the first run of the inning. Following a pitching change, Zeremenko drew a walk. Junior Marissa DeMatteo, who pinch ran for Zeremenko, later scored on a Fredericks single to center field.
The Panthers tied the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI-single by Kruger. Solak scored on Kruger's at-bat after leading off the frame with a double to center and advancing to third on a sac bunt by Fredericks.
Georgia Tech then found the lead once again in the top of the sixth after a two-run shot to left field made it 8-6, ultimately leading the Yellow Jackets to victory.
Up Next
Pitt and Georgia Tech will close out the series Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Pitt [21-16-1, 10-6 ACC] defeated Georgia Tech [22-19, 8-6 ACC] 4-2 in game one, before losing the backend of the doubleheader, 8-6.
Junior Sarah Dawson earned the start in game one, where she finished with a complete-game win after surrendering just three hits and two runs while striking out seven. The junior retired 12 consecutive Yellow Jacket batters to open the game, adding five strikeouts through the first four frames.
Game two saw three Panther pitchers take the mound in senior Kayla Harris, junior Taylor Rahach and Dawson. Harris started the game, but was pulled early after giving up five runs in the first frame. Rahach then subbed in for Harris, giving up one run while collecting five strikeouts through four innings of work. Dawson made her second appearance in as many games after subbing in for Rahach in the middle of the fifth, giving up two runs in 2.2 innings of action while taking the loss.
Offensively, Pitt had five players with multi-hit efforts in the doubleheader. Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko went 2-for-3 in game one while adding three RBIs and a run. The senior blasted a three-run bomb to left center in the fifth inning to give the Panthers a commanding 4-0 lead.
In game two, freshman Hunter Levesque, sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger and junior Olivia Gray all posted two-hit days while junior Alexis Solak turned in a three-hit effort. Levesque went 2-for-4 in the game while adding a run. Kruger added a 2-for-4 showing while recording a home run and four RBIs. Gray went 2-for-4 in game two while Solak went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs.
Game One Scoring Summary: Pitt 4, Georgia Tech 2
Pitt got off to a strong start, scoring one in the opening inning of play to take the lead. Two doubles led to the run as senior McKayla Taylor led off with one down the right field line. The second came from Gray with one away, scoring Taylor on the play.
After three scoreless frames, the Panthers added three insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 4-0. All three runs were curtesy of Zeremenko, as the senior blasted home run number 12 of the season with junior Taylor Myers and Taylor on base. Myers reached with two away on a fielding error by the Georgia Tech third baseman, while Taylor walked in the next at-bat to set up the long ball for Zeremenko.
The Yellow Jackets comeback attempt fell short in the final inning of the game, scoring just two runs to cut Pitt's lead in half. Georgia Tech scored both runs on a two-run shot to left center with no outs. Dawson retired the following three Yellow Jacket batters in order to end the game, notching her career-high tying seventh strikeout in the final out.
Game Two Scoring Summary: Georgia Tech 8, Pitt 6
Pitt struggled out of the gate in game two, giving up six runs to Georgia Tech in the opening frame. The Yellow Jackets recorded six hits in the inning, starting with a double in the opening at-bat of the frame. Harris issued a walk to the next batter to put two runners on. A single scored the first run of the game, before Harris picked up her first out, a strikeout looking. With runners still on second and third, back-to-back hits scored three more to extend Georgia Tech's lead to 4-0.
Rahach entered in relief of Harris at this point, coming into the game with one away and a runner on first. Rahach struck out the first batter she faced looking, but walked the second to put two runners on. A third runner joined the ranks after being hit with a pitch. The final hit of the inning, a double down the left field line, scored the last two runs of the frame to make it 6-0, Yellow Jackets.
A three-run homer in the bottom of the second, curtesy of Kruger, pulled the Panthers back within striking distance of Georgia Tech. Pitt led off with consecutive singles from Levesque and Solak, before Kruger struck with one away, putting the score at 6-3 heading into the third.
Pitt's bats remained hot in the third, as the squad posted two runs to cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to one, 6-5. Taylor led off the frame with a solo shot to center field for the first run of the inning. Following a pitching change, Zeremenko drew a walk. Junior Marissa DeMatteo, who pinch ran for Zeremenko, later scored on a Fredericks single to center field.
The Panthers tied the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI-single by Kruger. Solak scored on Kruger's at-bat after leading off the frame with a double to center and advancing to third on a sac bunt by Fredericks.
Georgia Tech then found the lead once again in the top of the sixth after a two-run shot to left field made it 8-6, ultimately leading the Yellow Jackets to victory.
Up Next
Pitt and Georgia Tech will close out the series Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dawson, Sarah (11-10)
L: Anderson, E (14-11)
Batting:
HR: Prairie, R 1
RBI: Prairie, R 2
SH: Huckabay, C 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Krzus, K 1 ; Prairie, R 1
Batting:
2B: Myers, Taylor 1 ; Gray, Olivia 1 ; Solak, Alexis 1
HR: Zeremenko, Giorgiana 1
RBI: Zeremenko, Giorgiana 3 ; Gray, Olivia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Myers, Taylor 2 ; Zeremenko, Giorgiana 1 ; Myers, Taylor 1
SB: Myers, Taylor 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC/INF
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