Pitt
18-10, 2-5
Virginia
10-22, 1-6
Pitt Drops Series Opener to Virginia, 8-5
3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score | Season Statistics | Conference Statistics
Game One Highlights vs. UVA | Postgame Interview: Maggie Sevilla
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team dropped its series opener against Virginia, 8-5, Friday afternoon at Vartabedian Field.
The Panthers [18-10, 2-5 ACC] fell behind in the first inning, 3-0, and trailed the Cavaliers [10-22, 1-6 ACC] 8-2 after five and half innings. Pitt’s comeback fell short as the team was only able to tally an additional three runs the rest of the game.
The Panthers posted 12 hits to UVA’s 11 in the loss, with redshirt senior Maggie Sevilla, senior Jenna Modic and sophomores McKayla Taylor and Giorgiana Zeremenko all recording two apiece.
Zeremenko, who has been outstanding offensively for the Panthers, extended her reached base streak to 14 games following today.
Redshirt senior Shelby Pickett had the Panthers lone home run on the day, a two-run shot in the fifth inning.
Starting sophomore pitcher Kayla Harris struggled in the loss, giving up nine hits and six earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Modic, who relieved Harris on the mound in the middle of the fifth, held Virginia scoreless for the remainder of the game and let up just two hits.
Pitt 5, Virginia 8
• The Panthers fell to the Cavaliers 8-5 in the opening game of the series with Harris receiving the loss on the mound.
• Virginia jumped on the board in the first inning as two hits and a Pitt error led to three runs crossing the plate. Following a leadoff double by Iyana Hughes, a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third. In the next at-bat, Taylor attempted to throw out Hughes at home on a slow roller to short but was unsuccessful allowing the run to score and the hitter Kaitlin Fitzgerald to reach first safely. Fitzgerald scored the Cavaliers second run on an error by freshman Olivia Gray in the outfield after advancing to second on a passed ball. Katie Park, who hit the high flyer, reached third base safely. With two outs, Allison Davis hit a RBI triple down the right field line to score the final run of the inning.
• A two-run homer by Allie Arneson in the top of the fourth gave UVA a 5-0 lead.
• The Panthers plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth to get on the board and cut Virginia’s lead to 5-2. Back-to-back hits including a double by Taylor and a single by Modic got things started for Pitt. With runners on first and third, the Panthers scored their first run of the inning after the UVA shortstop let a ball through to the outfield on an attempted throw-down to second to catch pinch runner Morgan Choe stealing, allowing Taylor to come home on the play. Choe followed after a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Erin Hershman and a single by freshman Alexis Solak.
• UVA extended its lead to 8-2 in the top of the fifth following a three-run homer by pinch hitter McKall Miller.
• The Panthers’ attempted comeback started in the fifth inning as they posted three runs to cut Virginia’s lead to 8-5. Following a single by junior Kaitlin Manuel, Pickett put up her third homer of the season to cut the Cavaliers lead to 8-4. Sevilla doubled in the next at-bat and scored on a single by Modic.
• Pitt’s comeback fell short as the Panthers were unable to push across anymore runs in the final two innings of play.
Up Next
Pitt and Virginia will conclude the series tomorrow, Saturday March 26. The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at Noon.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Erika Osherow (7-14)
L: Harris, Kayla (9-8)
Batting:
2B: Iyana Hughes 1 ; Allison Davis 1
3B: Allison Davis 1
HR: Allie Arneson 1 ; McKall Miller 1
RBI: Allie Arneson 2 ; Kaitlin Fitzgerald 1 ; Allison Davis 1 ; McKall Miller 3
SH: Allie Arneson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Iyana Hughes 1 ; Allie Arneson 1 ; Kaitlin Fitzgerald 1 ; Katie Park 1 ; Aimee Chapdelaine 1 ; Madison Labshere 1 ; McKall Miller 1 ; Tia Mitchell 1
SB: Taylor Sarcone 1
Batting:
2B: Sevilla, Maggie 1 ; Taylor, McKayla 1
HR: Pickett, Shelby 1
RBI: Pickett, Shelby 2 ; Modic, Jenna 1 ; Solak, Alexis 1
SH: Hershman, Erin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pickett, Shelby 1 ; Sevilla, Maggie 1 ; Taylor, McKayla 1 ; Choe, Morgan 1 ; Manuel, Kaitlin 1
HBP: Manuel, Kaitlin 1
