Panthers to Host Eagles in Final Series of Regular Season

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team will host Boston College in its final series of the regular season beginning Friday, May 3 at Vartabedian Field.

THE SCHEDULE

The Panthers will open the weekend with a 5 p.m. matchup against the Eagles on Friday.
On Saturday, Pitt will play a 4 p.m. contest against Boston College.
The Panthers will close out their series with the Eagles on Sunday with a 12 p.m. matchup.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Live stats will be available for all games.
Fans can watch the contests on ACC Network Extra.
Fans can also follow @Pitt_SB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

PITTSBURGH MARATHON

The city of Pittsburgh will be hosting its annual Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday, with many roads throughout the city blocked off during the event.
Fans can view the marathon route to find access points to the Petersen Sports Complex here.

CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS

The Panthers will be holding Senior Day on Saturday, with a postgame ceremony scheduled to follow the conclusion of their matchup with Boston College.
Pitt will recognize eight seniors in Sarah Dawson, Marissa DeMatteo, Gabrielle Fredericks, Olivia Gray, Taylor Myers, Taylor Rahach, Alexis Solak and Nava Susi.

TOURNAMENT TALK

The Panthers are currently vying for a spot in the ACC Tournament, with 10 of 12 teams qualifying for the tourney.
Pitt is currently tied with Boston College for 11^th place in the conference standings.
With three ACC contests remaining, the Panthers currently sit two games behind NC State for the 10^th and final seed.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt earned a 7-3 victory over Marshall in its midweek matchup Wednesday, May 1 in Huntington, W.Va.
The Panthers deployed four pitchers on the mound in seniors Sarah Dawson and Taylor Rahach, redshirt sophomore Brittany Knight and freshman Abby Edwards. The quartet combined to allow just six hits and three runs while striking out three in seven innings of work.
Offensively, Pitt racked up an impressive 13 hits from 10 different players. Senior Alexis Solak, junior Alexee Haynes and freshman Sarah Seamans each posted two hits on the day, while seniors Olivia Gray, Taylor Myers and Nava Susi, juniors Walker Barbee, Kaitlyn Kruger and Connor McGaffic and sophomore Chandler Walter each added one hit apiece.

FACING A STRONG SCHEDULE

Pitt's 2019 slate features some very challenging opponents.
The Panthers' schedule currently includes five teams that are either ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, while five opponents also fit that criteria in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll.
Pitt also has eight opponents on its schedule who are currently rated in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI.

LOOK OUT FOR LEVESQUE

Coming off a 2018 season in which she garnered ACC All-Freshman Team recognition, sophomore Hunter Levesque has continued her strong play for the Panthers.
The Troy, N.Y., native currently ranks first on the team in batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.423), slugging percentage (.612), total bases (85), hits (45), runs (30), RBI (25), home runs (10), steals (10) and doubles (six).
The sophomore has been on a tear as of late, hitting for a .446 average in her last 21 games. In that span, Levesque has improved her season batting average from .216 to .324.
Levesque hit for a .357 batting average in the Panthers' season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic (Feb. 8-10), adding five hits, three RBI, two runs and two walks.
The sophomore batted .333 in Pitt's ACC series against Duke from March 15-17, collecting three hits, two doubles and one RBI.
In Pitt's series against North Carolina from March 29-30, Levesque hit .556 while collecting five hits, three runs, two walks, one RBI and one double. In the Panthers' series finale against the Tar Heels, the sophomore recorded a career-high four hits.
The Troy, N.Y., native hit for a .417 average in the Mizzou Tournament from April 5-7, adding five hits, five runs, four RBI, two home runs and two walks in four total games against Missouri and Oregon.
Levesque batted .667 in the Panthers' conference series against Georgia Tech from April 12-13, collecting six hits, five runs, four RBI, three home runs and two doubles in just three contests.

GRAY GOT GAME

Senior Olivia Gray was named to the conference's first-ever Preseason All-ACC Team Tuesday, Jan. 29, and has performed well throughout the season despite battling through injuries.
While appearing in just 30 games, Gray has still been able to compile a .273 batting average and .387 on-base percentage, adding 24 hits, 18 runs, 17 walks, 16 RBI, six home runs and five doubles.
In Pitt's season-opening tournament at the Cougar Classic from Feb. 8-10, Gray finished the weekend with a .333 batting average while ranking first on the team in doubles (four) and tying for the team-lead in hits (six). She also added four runs and three RBI in the team's five contests.
In the senior's first series back from injury, Gray hit for a .714 average to go along with six RBI, five hits, four runs, three walks and two home runs in three games against North Carolina from March 29-30.
The Washington, Pa., native batted .333 against Missouri and Oregon in the Mizzou Tournament from April 5-7, collecting four hits, two runs, two RBI, two walks, one long ball and one double in just four contests.

FREDERICKS FINDING HER FOOTING AT THE PLATE

After a quiet start to the season offensively, senior Gabrielle Fredericks has found her footing at the plate as of late, ranking second on the team in both batting average (.302) and on-base percentage (.412) during the Panthers' last 15 games.
During that span, she has collected 13 hits, eight walks, six RBI, one home run and one double.
On the season, Fredericks owns a .276 batting average to go along with 35 hits, 20 RBI, 15 walks, eight runs, seven home runs and five doubles.
The New Philadelphia, Ohio, native batted .375 in Pitt's three-game ACC series against Virginia from March 9-10, collecting three hits, two RBI, two walks and one home run.
The senior hit for a .300 average in Pitt's ACC series against North Carolina from March 29-30, adding five RBI, three hits, three runs and two home runs in three contests.
Fredericks finished the Mizzou Tournament (April 5-7) with a .364 average, recording four hits, two RBI, two walks and one home run in four total contests against Missouri and Oregon.
The New Philadelphia, Ohio, native hit for a .375 average and amassed a .545 on-base percentage in the Panthers' conference series against Georgia Tech from April 12-13, adding three hits, three walks and one RBI in three contests.

SOLAK GETTING INTO THE SWING OF THINGS

Senior Alexis Solak has picked up her production at the plate following a relatively slow start to the season offensively, performing well for the Panthers in conference play.
In Pitt's 21 ACC contests, the senior has compiled a .310 batting average to go along with 18 hits, five RBI, four runs, three doubles, one home run and one walk.
On the season, Solak ranks second on the team in hits (37), is tied for second in doubles (five), ranks third in total bases (54), is tied for third in RBI (19) and tied for fifth in runs (10).
Solak collected five RBI in Pitt's season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic from Feb. 8-10. She recorded an RBI in four of five games, including a season-high tying two RBI against Central Michigan.
The senior hit .333 at the Ole Miss Classic from March 1-2. In four contests, she amassed a team-high eight total bases off of four hits, one home run and one double.
The Woodbridge, Ill., native batted .624 in the Panthers' ACC series against Duke from March 15-17, collecting five hits in just three games.
Solak hit for a .364 average in Pitt's series against North Carolina from March 29-30, recording four hits, two runs, two doubles and one RBI.

PAVLICK PUTTING UP NUMBERS

Freshman Katlyn Pavlick has had an impressive start to her Panther career offensively.
On the season, Pavlick ranks first on the team in walks (21), second in runs (22), is tied for second in doubles (five) and tied for third in home runs (six) while ranking fifth in both total bases (49) and hits (26).
Pavlick hit a leadoff long ball in her first career at-bat for Pitt, going on to close out the Panthers season-opening weekend at the Cougar Classic (Feb. 8-10) ranked first on the team in runs (five) and home runs (two), tied for first in hits (six) and second in both batting average (.429) and walks (three).
In the Panthers' first ACC series against Virginia from March 9-10, the freshman hit .500 through three games, adding five runs, four hits, four walks, two home runs and a double.
Pavlick hit for a .444 average in the Panthers' series against Duke from March 15-17, adding four hits, four RBI, two doubles and two walks. The freshman was a big factor in helping Pitt to collect its first ACC win of the season, going 2-for-2 with two doubles, two RBI and two walks in the Panthers' 5-3 victory against the Blue Devils Sunday, March 17.

THE SERIES – BOSTON COLLEGE

In a series that dates back to 1999, the Eagles currently own a 17-6 all-time edge against the Panthers.
The teams' last meeting came March 25, 2017, with Pitt earning a 4-2 win over Boston College.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES

Boston College enters Friday's contest with an 18-32 [4-17 ACC] record, most recently earning an 8-2 win over Dartmouth Wednesday, May 1.
The Eagles closed out their 2018 campaign with a 30-23 overall record, including a 13-10 mark in conference play.
Offensively, Boston College has two regulars hitting .300 or better on the season. Senior Lexi DiEmmanuele currently leads the squad with a .333 average.
In the circle, the Eagles' workhorse this season has been freshman Susannah Anderson, who leads the team in innings pitched (166.2), complete games (six) and ERA (3.70).

UP NEXT

If they qualify, the Panthers will compete in the ACC Tournament beginning Wednesday, May 8 in Tallahassee, Fla.

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Panthers to Host Eagles in Final Series of Regular Season

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Walker Barbee

Sarah Dawson

Marissa DeMatteo

Abby Edwards

Gabrielle Fredericks

Olivia Gray

Alexee Haynes

Brittany Knight

Kaitlyn Kruger

Hunter Levesque

Connor McGaffic

Taylor Myers

Katlyn Pavlick

Taylor Rahach

Sarah Seamans

Alexis Solak

Nava Susi

Chandler Walter

Panthers to Host Eagles in Final Series of Regular Season

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Walker Barbee

Sarah Dawson

Marissa DeMatteo

Abby Edwards

Gabrielle Fredericks

Olivia Gray

Alexee Haynes

Brittany Knight

Kaitlyn Kruger

Hunter Levesque

Connor McGaffic

Taylor Myers

Katlyn Pavlick

Taylor Rahach

Sarah Seamans

Alexis Solak

Nava Susi

Chandler Walter

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