Pitt to Face Wright State and Ohio State Sunday

Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics

Pitt to Face Wright State and Ohio State Sunday

9/22/2018 10:00:00 AM | Softball

Panthers Set for Fall Ball Doubleheader against Wright State and Ohio State

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team is set to travel to Columbus, Ohio, for a doubleheader against Wright State and Ohio State beginning at 1:15 p.m. Sunday at Buckeye Field.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers took both games in their fall ball opener against Slippery Rock, earning 8-1 and 5-3 victories Sunday, Sept. 16 at Vartabedian Field.
Senior Sarah Dawson earned the start in game one, recording the win after throwing five scoreless innings while allowing no hits and striking out eight.
At the plate, junior Kaitlyn Kruger went 1-2 while adding a three-run long ball in the second frame. Senior Alexis Solak contributed a 2-3 effort to go along with two runs and a double while freshman Sarah Seamans went 2-2 while adding two runs and two steals.
In game two, junior Brittany Knight earned the win after 5.2 innings on the rubber, where she allowed just three hits and one run while striking out three.
Knight also showed her chops at the plate, going 2-2 with a double, home run and two RBIs. Kruger also impressed again in game two, adding her second home run of the day while going 1-3 with two RBIs.

RETURNEES

Pitt return's 15 players from a roster that won its first ACC Coastal Division Championship in program history a season ago. Returning to the team are seniors Dawson, Solak, Marissa DeMatteo, Gabrielle Fredericks, Olivia Gray, Taylor Myers, Taylor Rahach, and Nava Susi, juniors Knight, Kruger, Alexee Haynes and Connor McGaffic and sophomores Morgan Batesole, Brie Horrell and Hunter Levesque.
Among the returnees are multiple key contributors to last year's success. Kruger earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team recognition a season ago, while Gray received First Team All-ACC honors and Levesque was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.

NEWCOMERS

The Panthers also welcome four newcomers to the team in freshmen Seamans, Hannah Bach, Abby Edwards and Kaytlyn Pavlick.

SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE

The Raiders finished their 2018 spring schedule with a 21-32 overall record, including a 12-10 mark in Horizon league play.
Wright State is led by head coach Laura Matthews, who enters her first season with the Raiders. Prior to her position at Wright State, Matthews spent six seasons at Wittenberg, where she compiled a 152-74-1 (.672) record.
The Raiders' top returning offensive threat from last season comes in the form of junior Rebekah Lenos, who finished the 2018 season with a .246 batting average to go along with 30 hits, 29 walks, 17 runs, seven RBIs and three doubles.
In the circle, senior Ally Russell finished last season with a 6-9 record to go along with a 4.81 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 83.0 innings pitched.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

The Buckeyes closed out their 2018 spring schedule with a 36-16 overall record and a 14-8 mark in Big Ten play.
OSU advanced to last year's NCAA Regional Tournament, where they went 2-2 while collecting two wins against USF and two losses against Florida.
Ohio State is led by head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly, who enters her seventh season with the program. Schoenly has compiled a 199-124-1 (.616) record during her six seasons with the Buckeyes and a 387-124-1 (.583) career record during her time at both Miami (OH) and OSU.
Offensively, the Buckeyes were led by senior Lilli Piper, who recorded a .404 batting average to go along with 65 hits, 58 RBIs, 50 runs, 27 walks, 20 home runs and 14 doubles.
In the circle, senior Morgan Ray finished the 2018 season with a team-best 2.58 ERA while collecting a 18-7 record and two saves after striking out 145 batters over 157.2 innings of work.

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