Pitt Looks to Clinch ACC Coastal Division Versus Louisville

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team will look to clinch the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coastal Division this weekend as the Panthers host Louisville at Vartabedian Field in Pittsburgh.

Pitt [29-17-1, 14-6 ACC] sits just ahead of North Carolina [28-25, 15-8 ACC] in the standings and needs one win against Louisville [32-17, 10-10 ACC] to seal the program's first division championship.

THE SCHEDULE

The Panthers will face the Cardinals in a three-game series beginning Friday, May 4 at 5 p.m. The second game of the series is slated for 1 p.m., Saturday, May 5, while first pitch for the final contest is scheduled for 12 p.m., Sunday, May 6.

CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS

Pitt will celebrate its senior class, which features Kayla Harris, Erin Hershman, Taylor Stimson, McKayla Taylor and Giorgiana Zeremenko, both prior to the start of Saturday's contest and afterwards.
A ceremonial first pitch, featuring the seniors and a significant family member, will take place prior to the game, while the complete senior day ceremony will occur directly following the conclusion of the game.

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 also follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT

In the Panthers second non-conference contest of the week and final of the regular season, Pitt fell to Ohio State 5-1 Wednesday evening at Buckeye Field in Columbus, Ohio.
The visiting Panthers struggled to produce offensively against the Buckeyes [33-11], recording just one run thanks to a sacrifice fly. Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko tallied the lone RBI of the evening with the sac fly in the fifth, bringing in senior Erin Hershman who doubled in the inning. Hershman accounted for one of just two hits by the Panthers, with junior Taylor Myers recording the other. Zeremenko reached base in two of her three appearances, earning walks in her first two takes at the plate.
In the circle, senior Kayla Harris recorded just her second loss of the season as she gave up five runs, four earned, on six hits. The Chesapeake, Va., native struck out two in the outing.

THE SERIES

Pitt has won just two games in 21 meetings against Louisville, with the Panthers last victory coming May 2, 2015 in a three-game series at Vartabedian Field in Pittsburgh. Pitt outlasted the Cardinals 2-1 in its win.
The only other victory in program history came April 13, 2008, an 8-0 win in Louisville territory.

SCOUTING LOUISVILLE

Louisville enters its final weekend of ACC play with a 32-17 overall record and a 10-10 mark in conference play.
The Cardinals currently sit fourth in the ACC Atlantic Division standings and rank 39^th in the RPI.
In its most recent outing, Louisville defeated Marshall 13-10 Wednesday evening in a midweek contest. Prior to that, the Cardinals swept Boston College in ACC action at home.
Louisville leads the ACC in batting average (.303) and hits (408).
Megan Hensley is the Cardinals dual threat, as she leads Louisville both offensively at the plate and defensively from the circle. One of two starting pitchers, Hensley owns a 16-7 record and 3.26 ERA in 36 appearances. She also boasts a team-leading .370 batting average and 51 hits with nine home runs.

SITTING PRETTY IN THE STANDINGS

Pitt, who is 14-6 in ACC play and 29-17-1 overall, currently ranks first in the ACC Coastal Division heading into the final week of the regular season and last weekend of conference play. The 2018 squad was predicted to finish ninth overall in the ACC Softball Preseason Poll.
The Panthers sit a half of a game ahead of North Carolina [15-8 ACC] in the Coastal Division and will need just one win against Louisville 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. Pitt has played three teams in the top-50 RPI, including Florida State, who was sixth the week the two teams went head-to-head.

ACC SERIES SUCCESS

With its 14 wins in conference pay, the 2018 squad has surpassed the program record for most ACC wins in a season, which the 2015 team set with 11 victories.
With one conference series remaining, the Panthers have already earned six series wins against ACC opponents including NC State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia Tech and Virginia, including series sweeps of the Hokies and Cavaliers.
Pitt's six series wins mark the most in program history, surpassing the four that was set by the 2015 squad.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING

Pitt's defense ranks first in the ACC with 0.68 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 22^nd in the nation this week in the category. In the ACC, the squad holds the top spot. Pitt has blasted 49 long balls in 47 games.
Pitt has seen 11 different players hit a home run, including a team-leading 15 bombs by senior Giorgiana Zeremenko, who ranks 22^nd in the nation in home runs, while also ranking 21^st in the nation in home runs per game (0.32). 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 proven 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 .255 with 25 hits and 11 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 (.346), hits (46), doubles (10), home runs (15), slugging percentage (.759) and walks (31).
She boasts 13 multi-hit games, seven multi-RBI games and has reached base in the last 13 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 22^nd in the nation in home runs, while also ranking 21^st in the nation in home runs per game (0.32). 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.
Zeremenko became the all-time leader in the career category at the B1G/ACC Challenge earlier this season, notching her 35^th career home run. She now has 46 total 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.

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 .306 career average with 125 hits.
This season, Gray is hitting .308 with 45 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.

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 26 out of the past 29 games and is hitting .250 on the season with 35 hits, 39 runs scored and 20 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 181 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 140 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 .305 batting average to go along with 36 hits, 24 runs scored and three home runs.
The freshman posted a .500 batting average in Pitt's series against Virginia while collecting three RBIs, including a walk-off single in game two.
Levesque reached base in nine straight games during a span from March 8 to March 23.

KRUGER EMBRACING THE DP ROLE

Sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger, who has been utilized in the designated player role this season, has produced efficiently for the Panthers at the plate.
Kruger is batting .289 with 26 hits in 90 at-bats with four home runs and four doubles.

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, is currently hitting .274 and ranks third on the team with 40 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 13-2 on the season and 7-0 in ACC play. In 27 total appearances, 21 of which she started, she has tossed 11 complete games, including six shutouts. In 119.2 innings pitched, Harris has struck out 44, while giving up just 24 walks. She owns a 2.16 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 batting 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 14-11 on the season with 21 starts. In a team-leading 131.2 innings pitched, she has struck out a team-high70 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.

UP NEXT

Pitt will take part in the 2018 ACC Softball Championship May 9-12. If the Panthers clinch the ACC Coastal Division this weekend against Louisville with a single win, Pitt will automatically earn the number two seed in the tournament. The full bracket will be announced by the conference Sunday, May 6.

#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Pitt Looks to Clinch ACC Coastal Division Versus Louisville

Next Event

Related Videos