Panthers Return Home for Four Games with North Carolina

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh softball team returns to Vartabedian Field and hosts ACC opponent North Carolina for four games starting Friday at 5 p.m.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday's series opener begins at 5 p.m. and will be live on the ACC Network.
Saturday consists of a double-header, with game one beginning at 1 p.m. on the ACCNX followed by game two at 5 p.m. on the ACC Network.
The fourth and final game of the series starts at 3 p.m. Sunday with live coverage on the ACC Network.

THE SERIES – NORTH CAROLINA

The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 13-8, with the last meeting a 9-1 victory for North Carolina March 1, 2020.
North Carolina was one of two ACC opponents the Panthers played last season in a shortened 2020 year. Pitt took the first game of a three game series, 7-3, in Chapel Hill before dropping the next two.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS

North Carolina comes into Pittsburgh with an overall record of 12-15 and 8-9 in ACC play.
The Tar Heels are led in the circle by fifth-year Brittany Pickett. Pickett is 8-6 on the season with a 1.46 ERA, good for sixth in the ACC. She has 114 strikeouts (fourth in league) and her 8.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio is second in the conference and 12th in the country.
North Carolina is led offensively by redshirt senior Kristina Burkhardt, who is batting .365 with a .608 slugging percentage. She leads the team in hits (27), doubles (6), triples (3) and has stolen a team-high seven bases this season.

CAMI CRUSH

Freshman Cami Compson has flexed her muscles this season, hitting eight home runs and registering four doubles, 18 RBI, 58 total bases and a team-best .630 slugging percentage. She also leads the team with a .386 on-base percentage.
The Westerville, Ohio, native went 5-for-13 with two homers, four RBI, four runs and 13 total bases against Louisville. She registered a team-high .923 slugging percentage for the weekend.
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.

EC DOES IT

Speedster sophomore EC Taylor has shown her quickness on the base paths in her first season as a Panther.
Taylor is tied for second on the team in hits (28), is fourth in runs (16), tied for first in doubles (5) and leads the ACC in stolen bases with 24. Her stolen base count is tied for eighth in the nation and her .69 stolen bases per game is tied for 20th in the country.
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 stole two bases against Louisville April 5, marking the sixth time this season she has stolen two or more bags in a game.

UP NEXT

The Panthers travel to Boston College for four games starting Friday, April 23 at 4 p.m.
Pitt plays two games Saturday, April 24 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. followed by the series finale Sunday, April 25 at 12 p.m.
All games will bel live on the ACCNX.