University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
21-21, 4-15
North Carolina State
16-29, 9-7
Pitt Drops Extra-Inning Slugfest to NC State
4/21/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh softball team couldn't hold off a late surge by NC State, falling 13-10 in eight innings Friday evening at Vartabedian Field.
The Panthers (21-21, 4-15 ACC) twice held six-run leads over the Wolfpack (16-29, 9-7 ACC) but a seventh-inning grand slam by NC State slugger Tyler Ross tied the game before the visitors scored three runs in the eighth to decide the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers put up a six spot in the opening frame thanks to five hits, a two-run homer by Alexis Solak and two Wolfpack errors.
Olivia Gray got it started with a single to left and Kaitlin Manuel reached on an error after laying down a bunt before Giorgiana Zeremenko doubled to bring home Gray for the first run. A single to right by Alexee Haynes and an error then scored Manuel and Zeremenko to make it 3-0. Haynes crossed home on another single, this time by Valerie Ortega, who reached home herself when Solak smacked her third home run of the season well over the wall in left center to complete Pitt's scoring in the inning.
NC State responded with three in the top of the third. Tyler Ross hit a two-run home run to get the Wolfpack on the board and the visitors added another when a single by Alyssa Compton scored Jade Caraway.
Pitt pitcher Kayla Harris limited the damage by entering the game with two outs in the third and stranding two Wolfpack runners.
The Panthers traded runs with NC State in the bottom of the fourth and top of the fifth. Manuel singled home Erin Herschman for Pitt's seventh run, while Alyssa Compton's single scored Ross for the Wolfpack's fourth tally.
After Harris got out of bases-loaded jams in the fifth and sixth innings, Pitt added some insurance by posting three-straight solo home runs courtesy of Solak, Hershman and Gray in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 10-4.
The Wolfpack loaded the bases again in the seventh inning. NC State was able to score two runs and leveled the score on a grand slam to left field by Ross.
In the eighth inning, the Wolfpack recorded three runs on a bases-clearing double by Caraway.
UP NEXT
Pitt and NC State will return to Vartabedian Field Saturday afternoon for the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. after the Panthers hold their Senior Day ceremonies
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nimmo (5-11)
L: Knight, Brittany (10-11)
Batting:
2B: Caraway 1
HR: Ross 2
RBI: Ross 6 ; Caraway 3 ; Compton 2 ; Nimmo 1 ; Martin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ross 4 ; Caraway 1 ; Compton 1 ; Moore 1 ; Jones, N. 1 ; Nimmo 1 ; Martin 2 ; Prickett 2
CS: Ross 1
PO: Martin 1
Batting:
2B: Zeremenko, Giorgiana 1
HR: Gray, Olivia 1 ; Solak, Alexis 2 ; Hershman, Erin 1
RBI: Gray, Olivia 1 ; Manuel, Kaitlin 1 ; Zeremenko, Giorgiana 1 ; Haynes, Alexee 2 ; Ortega, Valerie 1 ; Solak, Alexis 3 ; Hershman, Erin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gray, Olivia 2 ; Manuel, Kaitlin 1 ; Zeremenko, Giorgiana 1 ; Haynes, Alexee 1 ; Ortega, Valerie 1 ; Solak, Alexis 2 ; Hershman, Erin 2
SB: Gray, Olivia 1
CS: Edwards, Hannah 1
