University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics
A Season to Remember: 2018 Pitt Softball Recap
6/15/2018 3:55:00 PM | Softball
A Look Back at the Panthers’ Historic 2018 Season
PITTSBURGH - Despite being projected to finish ninth in the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, the University of Pittsburgh softball team went on to produce one of the most successful seasons in program history, highlighted by winning the program's first ACC Coastal Division Championship.
Led by head coach Holly Aprile, who was named ACC Coach of the Year, the Panthers put together an impressive regular season run en route to the division title. Pitt automatically earned the two seed in the conference tournament, where the team battled to reach the championship game. The Panthers fell in heartbreaking fashion to eventual National Champion Florida State on a walkoff home run, signaling the end of Pitt's historic season as the squad was tabbed as one of the first four left out of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Nonetheless, the 2018 season will always be one to remember.
The Panthers' impressive regular season culminated in a 33-18-1 overall record, marking the team's third most wins in program history. Pitt also compiled a 16-6 record against conference foes, which included winning seven of eight ACC series', both of which were program highs since the team joined the league in 2014.
The squad's accomplishments led to numerous individual awards as four players earned All-ACC honors and three received NFCA All-Region recognition.
Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko earned First Team All-ACC and NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team honors while fellow senior Kayla Harris received Second Team All-ACC and NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team recognition. Sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team recognition, while junior Olivia Gray received First Team All-ACC honors and freshman Hunter Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Though the season didn't end how many had hoped, the journey to get there was a long and exciting one.
The Panthers opened the season with tournaments in California, North Carolina and South Carolina before beginning conference play. Pitt entered its first ACC series against NC State owning an 8-5-1 record, with the squad's season taking off from there.
The team went on to win four consecutive conference series', with non-conference play mixed in between, before facing then-ranked No. 13/9 Florida State. The matchup was the Panthers toughest of the season to date, but the team was up for the challenge.
Pitt dropped a tightly contested game one after a Seminole walk-off single gave Florida State a 2-1 victory. However, the Panthers bounced back in game two of its doubleheader, earning a 1-0 extra-innings victory to hand the Seminoles their first ACC loss since 2016 and snap their 36-game conference win streak, which stood as the fifth longest streak in NCAA history.
Pitt ultimately fell to Florida State in game three for its first ACC series loss of the season, but quickly recovered, reeling off its final three conference matchups of the season.
With the regular season behind them, the Panthers set their eyes on the conference tournament. As the Coastal Division Champions, Pitt entered the bracket as the No. 2 seed, its highest placement in program history.
Following a first round bye, the Panthers faced No. 10 seed Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals. After a slow start offensively, the squad went on to score all six of its runs in the final two innings. Pitt trailed 4-1, entering its final chance at the plate, which concluded with a walk-off grand slam by senior McKayla Taylor to give the squad the victory.
In the semifinals, the Panthers took on No. 3 seed North Carolina, where junior Sarah Dawson threw a complete game shutout en route to a 3-0 win and a rematch with top-seeded Florida State.
With both teams at a stalemate through five frames, Pitt used a four-run sixth inning to jump out to a late lead. Florida State answered with a run of its own in the sixth to make it 4-1 heading into the final frame. Following the top of the inning, a fielder's choice scored another for the Seminoles. With runners on first and second with two away, a long ball to left field in the next at-bat drove in three and gave the National Champions a 5-4 victory, bringing the 2018 season to a close.
Despite the tough ending, Pitt went from being picked to finish ninth in the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll to winning their first ACC Coastal Division Championship in school history, making 2018 a season to remember.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Led by head coach Holly Aprile, who was named ACC Coach of the Year, the Panthers put together an impressive regular season run en route to the division title. Pitt automatically earned the two seed in the conference tournament, where the team battled to reach the championship game. The Panthers fell in heartbreaking fashion to eventual National Champion Florida State on a walkoff home run, signaling the end of Pitt's historic season as the squad was tabbed as one of the first four left out of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Nonetheless, the 2018 season will always be one to remember.
The Panthers' impressive regular season culminated in a 33-18-1 overall record, marking the team's third most wins in program history. Pitt also compiled a 16-6 record against conference foes, which included winning seven of eight ACC series', both of which were program highs since the team joined the league in 2014.
The squad's accomplishments led to numerous individual awards as four players earned All-ACC honors and three received NFCA All-Region recognition.
Senior Giorgiana Zeremenko earned First Team All-ACC and NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team honors while fellow senior Kayla Harris received Second Team All-ACC and NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team recognition. Sophomore Kaitlyn Kruger earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team recognition, while junior Olivia Gray received First Team All-ACC honors and freshman Hunter Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Though the season didn't end how many had hoped, the journey to get there was a long and exciting one.
The Panthers opened the season with tournaments in California, North Carolina and South Carolina before beginning conference play. Pitt entered its first ACC series against NC State owning an 8-5-1 record, with the squad's season taking off from there.
The team went on to win four consecutive conference series', with non-conference play mixed in between, before facing then-ranked No. 13/9 Florida State. The matchup was the Panthers toughest of the season to date, but the team was up for the challenge.
Pitt dropped a tightly contested game one after a Seminole walk-off single gave Florida State a 2-1 victory. However, the Panthers bounced back in game two of its doubleheader, earning a 1-0 extra-innings victory to hand the Seminoles their first ACC loss since 2016 and snap their 36-game conference win streak, which stood as the fifth longest streak in NCAA history.
Pitt ultimately fell to Florida State in game three for its first ACC series loss of the season, but quickly recovered, reeling off its final three conference matchups of the season.
With the regular season behind them, the Panthers set their eyes on the conference tournament. As the Coastal Division Champions, Pitt entered the bracket as the No. 2 seed, its highest placement in program history.
Following a first round bye, the Panthers faced No. 10 seed Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals. After a slow start offensively, the squad went on to score all six of its runs in the final two innings. Pitt trailed 4-1, entering its final chance at the plate, which concluded with a walk-off grand slam by senior McKayla Taylor to give the squad the victory.
In the semifinals, the Panthers took on No. 3 seed North Carolina, where junior Sarah Dawson threw a complete game shutout en route to a 3-0 win and a rematch with top-seeded Florida State.
With both teams at a stalemate through five frames, Pitt used a four-run sixth inning to jump out to a late lead. Florida State answered with a run of its own in the sixth to make it 4-1 heading into the final frame. Following the top of the inning, a fielder's choice scored another for the Seminoles. With runners on first and second with two away, a long ball to left field in the next at-bat drove in three and gave the National Champions a 5-4 victory, bringing the 2018 season to a close.
Despite the tough ending, Pitt went from being picked to finish ninth in the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll to winning their first ACC Coastal Division Championship in school history, making 2018 a season to remember.
#H2P | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ Softball
OF/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball2025 Hall of Fame Class | Jessica Dignon
Saturday, September 27
Highlights | Pitt vs. Virginia Tech
Friday, April 18
Highlights | Pitt at Penn State
Tuesday, April 15
Highlights | Pitt vs. Duke
Saturday, April 12