Panthers Set for Back-to-Back Non-Conference Contests

Game Notes
Versus Kent State: Live Stats | ACC Network Extra
At Ohio State: Live Stats | BTN Plus ($)

PITTSBURGH – Before closing out ACC play, the University of Pittsburgh softball team will play two non-conference contests as the squad is set to host Kent State Tuesday and travel to Ohio State Wednesday in midweek action.

THE SCHEDULE

The Panthers [28-16-1, 14-6 ACC] will face the Golden Flashes [26-19, 12-8 MAC] for the second time this season at Vartabedian Field in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, May 1. The Panthers will then make the trip to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Buckeyes [32-11, 13-6 B1G] Wednesday, May 2. Both games are slated to begin at 6 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Tuesday's contest against Kent State will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra through WatchESPN.
Wednesday's game at Ohio State will be available on BTN Plus ($).
Live stats will be available for both games.
- Kent State Live Stats
- Ohio State Live Stats
Fans can also follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT

In non-conference action, Pitt swept Marshall in a doubleheader Saturday, April 28 at home.
The Panthers earned its first victory of the evening in walkoff fashion after a back-and-forth affair that saw the game tied three different times as junior Taylor Myers hit a sac fly in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded to push Pitt past the Herd 6-5.
In the contest, senior Kayla Harris earned the win after relieving starting pitcher Sarah Dawson in the top of the seventh. Dawson tossed all but one inning, giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits. The junior struck out four. Harris completed the final inning facing just four batters, giving up just one hit and striking out one.
Harris returned to the circle in game two, leading the Panthers to an 8-0 win in six innings. The senior went the distance, earning her sixth shutout of the season allowing just three hits, while striking out four. Pitt produced six hits in the game from six different players, including home runs from seniors Giorgiana Zeremenko and McKayla Taylor. Zeremenko's homer marked her 15th of the season, while Taylor's three-run shot in the sixth gave the Panthers the run-rule victory.

THE SERIES – KENT STATE

Pitt and Kent State will meet for the 27^th time in program history and the second time this season. In the first meeting of 2018, the Panthers came out on top 6-4 in a single contest in Ohio April 18.
The Panthers trail the Golden Flashes in the all-time series 12-14.

SCOUTING KENT STATE

Kent State owns a 26-19 overall record with a 12-8 mark in MAC play.
Most recently, the Golden Flashes swept Bowling Green in MAC action to solidify its spot in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Kent State is led in the circle by sophomore Madi Huck, who owns a 16-7 record in 31 appearances, including 17 complete games and six shutouts. In 154.1 innings on the mound, Huck owns a 2.86 ERA and has struck out 100 batters.
At the plate, the Golden Flashes have two batters hitting over .400 on the season in senior Holly Speers and Kennadie Goth. Speers holds a .509 batting average to go along with 16 home runs, 54 RBIs, 43 runs and a slugging percentage of 1.093. Goth is batting .407 with 50 hits in 123 at-bats for Kent State.

THE SERIES – OHIO STATE

Pitt and Ohio State have met 17 times in program history with the Buckeyes leading the series 13-4.
In the last meeting, the Panthers fell to Ohio State 3-2 at home April 18, 2017.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

Ohio State enters Wednesday's contest with a 32-11 record and a 13-6 mark in Big Ten play.
The Buckeyes are currently on a six-game winning streak after sweeping Maryland last weekend and sit fourth overall in the B1G standings.
Ohio State previously sat in the national rankings before falling out April 17. The Buckeyes were still receiving votes, as of last week.
Lilli Piper leads Ohio State at the plate with a .420 average and a team-leading 58 hits. The junior boasts 17 home runs this season and has scored 45 runs, while knocking in 53.
In the circle, Morgan Ray owns a 2.27 ERA behind a 16-6 overall record. In 32 appearances, Ray has started 22 games, while tossing 11 complete including two shutouts. She has 133 strikeouts on the season. Shelby McCombs, who is 15-4 on the season with 19 starts and eight complete games, joins Ray on the mound. She holds a 3.08 ERA with 11 strikeouts.

SITTING PRETTY IN THE STANDINGS

Pitt, who is 14-6 in ACC play and 28-16 overall, currently ranks first place in the ACC Coastal Division heading into the final week of the regular season and last weekend of conference play.
The Panthers sit one game ahead of North Carolina [28-25, 15-8 ACC] in the Coastal Division and will need just one win against Louisville [31-17, 10-10 ACC] this weekend to seal their first division championship.
If Pitt wins the division, the squad will earn the two seed in the 2018 ACC Softball Tournament behind ACC Atlantic Division Champions Florida State [41-10, 18-3 ACC]. For the sixth consecutive season, the Seminoles are the 2018 ACC Softball Regular Season Champions.

MOVING UP IN THE RPI

Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Panthers sit at 58 in the RPI.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING

Pitt's defense ranks first in the ACC with 0.69 double plays per game, good for third overall in the nation. The Panthers have turned 31 double plays this season.

GOING YARD

With 1.04 home runs per game, the Panthers sit 23^rd in the nation this week in the category. In the ACC, the squad holds the top spot. Pitt has blasted 47 long balls in 45 games.
Pitt has seen 11 different players hit a home run, including a team-leading 15 bombs by senior Giorgiana Zeremenko, who ranks 21^st in the nation in home runs, while also ranking 17^th in the nation in home runs per game (0.33). Both lead the ACC.
Zeremenko became the all-time leader in the category at the B1G/ACC Challenge, notching her 35^th career 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. Zeremenko is just two home runs away from tying her own record and three away from breaking it, as her 15 home runs in 2018 is tied for second overall in program history for a single season. She now has 46 in her career.

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 owns a .283 batting average. In 53 at-bats, she has produced 15 hits while adding four doubles and one long ball. The junior has also racked up six RBIs and nine runs. 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 29 putouts in ACC play.
Overall, Myers is batting .245 with 23 hits and 10 RBIs, while boasting 52 putouts, one assist and one error in the field to make for a .981 fielding percentage.

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 (.351), hits (46), doubles (10), home runs (15), slugging percentage (.771) and walks (28).
She boasts 13 multi-hit games, seven multi-RBI games and has reached base in her last 11 games.
In conference play, Zeremenko has been unstoppable, tallying 22 hits in 54 at-bats for a .407 average. She has recorded four doubles and seven home runs in 20 games, while producing 14 RBIs and 12 runs scored. Zeremenko has reached base in over 55 percent of her appearances.
She ranks 21^st in the nation in home runs, while also ranking 17^th in the nation in home runs per game (0.33). Both lead the ACC.
With a team-leading 15 home runs, Zeremenko is just two away from tying her own single-season record of 17 long balls and three away from breaking it, as her 2018 total is tied for second overall in program history for a single season. She now has 46 in her career.
After cranking a home run to right center in her first at-bat against Duke, Zeremenko was intentionally walked four times in Pitt's doubleheader against the Blue Devils March 31. In the three game series, she finished 2-for-6 with five walks, two runs, one home run and one RBI.

TAYLOR AT THE PLATE

In her final season with the Panthers, senior McKayla Taylor continues her dominance at the plate.
Taylor has reached base in 25 out of the past 27 games and is hitting .254 on the season with 34 hits, 36 runs scored and 19 RBIs.
At Kent State, Taylor recorded two hits, including a three-run long ball. Her two hits propelled her into the top five of the record book in hits. The senior now boasts 180 in her career and sits fourth overall in program history.
Against NC State, Taylor recorded her 128^th RBI, setting a new program record as she passed Holly Stevens, who set the record with 127 from 2010-13. The senior now has 139 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 she 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 RBIs. She continued her dominance in game three, 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 ranks third on the team with a .310 batting average to go along with 35 hits, 23 runs scored and three home runs.
The freshman posted a .500 batting average in Pitt's series against Virginia while collecting three RBI's, including a walk-off single in game two.
Levesque reached base in nine straight games during a span from March 8 to March 23.

SOLAK SHOWING OFF

Junior Alexis Solak has proven to be one of the Panthers most consistent hitters at the plate.
The junior boasts nine games in which she has recorded multiple hits and is currently hitting .277 and ranks third on the team with 38 hits.
Against Georgia Tech, Solak went 5-for-10 to hit .500 on the weekend with three extra-base hits.
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 13-1 on the season and 7-0 in ACC play. In 24 total appearances, 20 of which she started, she has tossed 10 complete games, including six shutouts. In 113.2 innings pitched, Harris has struck out 42, while giving up just 22 walks. She owns a 2.03 ERA.
After earning two wins against Marshall April 28, the senior now ranks second in program history with 51 wins. Harris is just five career victories away from tying for the top spot in the record book and six away from overtaking former standout pitcher Savannah King (56).
In conference play, Harris boasts a 2.17 ERA after 10 appearances and has held her opponents to a .249 average.
While facing No. 13/9 Florida State, the senior posted a complete game shutout after the Panthers earned a 1-0 extra-innings win. Pitt's victory snapped the Seminoles 36-game conference win streak, which was the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history. Harris' outstanding effort later earned her ACC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Against Virginia Tech, she tossed a complete-game shutout, giving up just four hits to the Hokies, while holding them scoreless. While facing 26 batters, she allowed just one walk.

DOMINANT DAWSON

Junior pitcher Sarah Dawson has been dominant in the circle for Pitt so far in 2018.
Dawson is currently 13-11 on the season. In a team leading 126.2 innings pitched, she has struck out a team-leading 65 batters and owns a 2.71 ERA.
The junior appeared in two games against Virginia, including a complete-game win. In total, she pitched nine innings, allowing just two runs while striking out three.
In a phenomenal outing against Georgia Tech, 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 a career-high tying seven batters. The junior retired 12 consecutive Yellow Jacket batters to open the game, adding five strikeouts through the first four frames. On the weekend, Dawson gave up just six hits and five runs in 12.1 innings pitched, striking out 10 batters, while walking just two.
In a win over Coastal Carolina, Dawson pitched a complete game and struck out a career-high tying 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 .308 career average with 124 hits.
This season, Gray is hitting .312 with 44 hits. She leads the team with 15 multi-hit games.
The junior was awarded ACC Player of the Week honors after a standout week in which Pitt won four games. In three starts against Virginia, she batted .500 with three extra base hits, good for a 1.000 slugging percentage, while collecting five RBIs.
Against the Hokies, Gray went 4-for-6 at the plate with three RBIs and a walk. She posted a .625 on base percentage and slugged .667. In the opening game of the series, Gray was perfect, going 3-for-3. She tallied every RBI for the Panthers to lead Pitt to a win. In game two, she reached base twice, producing a single and a walk. Defensively Gray completed five putouts.
Gray hit .353 in the team's opening weekend tournament boasting a team-leading six hits, including one triple and four runs scored.

UP NEXT

Pitt will close out the 2018 regular season with a three-game series against Louisville this weekend, beginning Friday, May 4. The Panthers will look to seal their first ACC Coastal Division Championship, needing just one away against the Cardinals to earn it.

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Panthers Set for Back-to-Back Non-Conference Contests

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