Drogemuller Strikes Out 12 as Pitt Splits Day Two in Spartanburg

Saturday, February 26

Spartanburg, S.C.

11 AM

Pitt

7-5

Tennessee Tech

8-5

Pittsburgh

Tennessee Tech

Drogemuller Strikes Out 12 as Pitt Splits Day Two in Spartanburg

2/26/2022 4:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Pitt softball team split its second day of action in the Wings ETC Classic on the campus of USC Upstate, falling to Tennessee Tech 10-7 before rebounding and defeating USC Upstate 2-1 in eight innings.

News & Notes

Redshirt freshman Dani Drogemuller struck out a career-high 12 batters against USC Upstate, allowing only five hits, one run (unearned) and no walks. In two games in Spartanburg, she has thrown 15.0 innings with 7 hits, 0 earned runs, two walks and 19 strikeouts.
Senior Katlyn Pavlick came up clutch against the Spartans, hitting a pinch hit two-run home run in the top of the eighth to give Pitt a 2-0 advantage.
Junior EC Taylor stole two bases while classmate Bailey Drapola stole one. As of writing, Taylors seven steals and Drapola's six on the year are tied for first and second in the ACC, respectively.

Game One vs. Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech (8-5) scored the game's first runs in the bottom of the first as a double and a single brought in one run each. The Golden Eagles had the bases loaded with two outs but starting pitcher Kendall Brown recorded her second strikeout of the inning to limit the damage.

Pitt responded in the top of the second with three runs, as Drapola doubled down the left field line, scoring two, and Taylor hit a bloop single to bring in Drapola and give the Panthers a 3-2 lead.

The Golden Eagles regained the lead the following half inning with a three-run home run off the left field foul pole. Through two innings alone, the game saw eight total runs and 10 hits.

The Panthers once again answered with three runs in the top of the third. Freshman Amanda "Tuta" Ramirez scored two with a single up the middle and classmate Kylie Griggs put Pitt ahead with an RBI infield single in the next at bat. After a scoreless bottom of the third from relief pitcher Makenzie Stiles, the game had 11 runs and 14 hits in total.

Tennessee Tech tied the contest up at 6-6 with a solo home run to center and re-took the lead, 8-6, with a two-run home run to center in the bottom of the fourth. It added its ninth run of the game in the bottom of the fifth via a double to center and registered one more in the bottom of the sixth with a groundout.

Senior Sarah Seamans led off the top of the seventh with a solo homer, her second of the season, to cut the lead to 10-7. Pitt couldn't spark a rally after the homer and fell 10-7.

Drapola went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Seamans went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

Game Two vs. USC Upstate
It was a pitcher's duel through four innings at Cyrill Softball Stadium against host school USC Upstate Spartans as both teams totaled one hit each in a scoreless game. Pitt (8-5) had a chance to break the tie in the top of the sixth as Taylor got on with a single and stole second base, her seventh of the season. A fly out, foul out and strikeout ended the frame as the Panthers could not get her in. Upstate (11-1) got a runner on first with a single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh and one out, but back-to-back strikeouts from Drogemuller sent the game to extras.

With international tiebreak rules into effect, sophomore Kaitlyn Burdick was placed on second to start the eighth inning. Drapola moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt before senior Katlyn Pavlick sent her home with a two-run home run to left field. It was Pavlick's second pinch hit homer of the season as Pitt led 2-0 after the top of the eighth. The Spartans opened the bottom half with a single up the middle, moving the runner to third and forcing runners on the corners with no outs. USC Upstate got one run in with a single to cut the lead to one (2-1), but Drogemuller finished the game with two strikeouts, totaling 12 for the contest and giving the Panthers the extra inning victory.

Pitt totaled only four hits in the game with senior Yvonne Whaley accounting for two of them. The Panthers drew two walks while both teams left six on base.

The Panthers next face Cleveland State tomorrow for its fifth and final game of the Wings ETC Classic. The game is scheduled for an 11 a.m. first pitch.