Pitt, No. 18/16 Virginia Tech set for Four Game Series

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team travels to No. 18/16 Virginia Tech for a four game series beginning Friday, Mar. 19. Live coverage can be found on the ACCNX.

LIVE STATS | WATCH (G1) | WATCH (G2/G3) | WATCH (G4)

LEADING OFF

The Panthers round out their road six week with four games at [18/16] Virginia Tech Friday, Mar. 19 through Sunday, Mar. 21.
Pitt is coming off a series split with ACC foe Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Hokies recently took three of four games at NC State and swept Radford Wednesday in a mid-week double header.
Pitt will face its third ranked opponent in Virginia Tech, who comes in at No. 18 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and No. 16 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The two ranked opponents prior to the Hokies were [18/19] Duke and [10/11] Kentucky.

THE SCHEDULE

Game one is scheduled for 6 PM Friday evening at Tech Softball Park.
Games two and three will be played Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with the final game of the series being played Sunday at 12 p.m.
All games will be broadcast on ACCNX.

EC DOES IT

Sophomore EC Taylor has shown her speed and offensive abilities through the first five weeks of the season.
Taylor leads the team in hits (21) and runs (15), is tied for second in doubles (4) and leads the ACC in stolen bases with 17. Her stolen base count is third in the nation and her .89 stolen bases per game ranks seventh in the NCAA.
Her four stolen bases Sunday, Feb. 21 against Virginia were the most in a single-game in school history, surpassing the previous mark of three most recently held by Reba Tutt (2011).
Taylor stole three bases against Toledo Feb. 27, becoming the first Panther since Reba Tutt (2011) to have three stolen bags in a game.
Taylor had four hits, a double, four RBI and three stolen bases at the FAU Parent's Weekend Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla.
Taylor went 6-for-15 with seven runs, one double, one RBI and stole two bases at Georgia Tech.
Taylor is batting .304 with a .347 on-base percentage this season.

DANI DIMES

Freshman Dani Drogemuller has compiled two games with 10 or more strikeouts so far this season, doing so in complete game victories.
Drogemuller pitched a complete game in the Panthers' 9-4 win against FAU, allowing four earned on eight hits and fanning 10 batters, including two in the bottom of the seventh.
Drogemuller threw a gem Friday, Feb. 26 against Mercer, throwing a complete-game 10 strikeout performance in the Panthers' 7-2 victory over the Bears.
She allowed only three hits and two runs, both of which were unearned. She finished the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament with 11 strikeouts, four hits, zero earned runs in 11.1 innings pitched.
Drogemuller is 3-3 on the year and has 35 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched.

PAVLICK'S POWERFUL PLATE PRESENCE

After a slow start offensively, junior Katlyn Pavlick has rebounded for a powerful month of March in the batter's box, batting a team-best .435 with 10 hits, five doubles, nine RBI, four runs and has recorded a .652 slugging percentage during that span.
Pavlick went 6-for-11 with three doubles, five RBI, two runs, two walks and tallied a .818 slugging percentage at the FAU Parents Weekend Mar. 4-6.
Pavlick batted .333 with four hits, two doubles, four RBI and two walks against Georgia Tech last weekend.
Pavlick has reached base safely in 14 straight games and holds a team-high eight game hitting streak heading into Virginia Tech.

CAMI CRUSH

Freshman Cami Compson has flexed her muscles early this season, hitting four home runs and registering two doubles, 12 RBI, 29 total bases and a team-best 644 slugging percentage.
Compson's slugging percentage is second among all freshman hitters in the ACC.
Compson went 5-for-13 with two homers, four RBI, 11 total bases and recorded a .846 slugging percentage at Georgia Tech.
Compson went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI in game one of its double-header Saturday, Mar. 13 at Georgia Tech.
Compson totaled six RBI in one game Feb. 26 at Mercer, going 4-for-4 with one double, one homer and run. Her six RBI rank tied for second in the ACC for most in a single game this season.

THE SERIES – VIRGINIA TECH

Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 20-10. The last meeting between the two schools came March 24, 2019 in Pittsburgh.
The Hokies have won the last three games against the Panthers, but Pitt won the previous six dating from April 8, 2017 to May 10, 2018.

SCOUTING THE HOKIES

Virginia Tech enters the series 12-3 overall and 7-3 in ACC play.
The Hokies recently defeated Radford Wednesday in a mid-week double header. Virginia Tech has won eight of its last 10 games.
The Hokies rank second in the ACC in batting average (.301) and are second in the league in home runs per game with a 1.46 mark.
Sophomore Kelsey Bennett leads Virginia Tech in home runs with seven and has a 1.026 slugging percentage. Her 17 RBI are second on the team while her 16 hits are tied for second on the squad.
Junior pitcher Keely Rochard is a proven winner in the circle, posting an 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Her strikeout total ranks third in the conference, while her strikeout per seven inning mark (8.1) is sixth in the ACC.

UP NEXT

The Panthers return from Blacksburg to host their first set of games for the first time since May 5, 2019 with a four game series against Syracuse.
The series begins Friday, Mar. 26 at 4 PM. Live coverage will be held on the ACCNX.