A bang-up offensive performance this weekend led the Pitt women’s softball team to a series victory over Georgia Tech at home.
The Panthers softball team (28-15, 7-9 ACC) topped Georgia Tech (17-27, 4-10 ACC) 2-1 over the weekend. Pitt took the first game on Saturday 4-3 and lost the second 9-8, before some breakout offense from the Panthers pulled them to 9-4 in the third game Sunday afternoon.
In game one on Saturday, a single from Pitt sophomore shortstop McKayla Taylor drove in Shelby Pickett for the first run of the game.
Georgia Tech battled back in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead off of back-to-back singles, before Maggie Sevilla nailed one over the right field wall in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 2-2.
Sophomore Kayla Harris — who pitched the entire 10 innings and let seven hits off in 37 at-bats — walked Yellow Jacket Colleen Darragh and brought in a run. She held three runners on for the rest of the inning, leaving the score at 3-2 going into the bottom of the sixth.
Sevilla knocked a single to left field and brought in Kathryn Duran in the sixth. Both teams remained scoreless until the 10th inning when Sevilla brought Pickett in on a double to end the game 4-3 in Pitt’s favor.
The Yellow Jackets sought revenge in game two Saturday, and Pitt’s offensive fire had cooled, as the Panthers brought in most of their runs on walks.
Sophomore Erin Hershman started off the scoring and sent Sevilla home on a walk off of Georgia Tech’s Colleen Darragh.
The Yellow Jackets took the lead back in the top of the second, profiting off a single and a field error by Taylor. Jenna Modic and Giorgiana Zeremenko both drew walks and brought in Pickett to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead.
In the first at-bat in the top of the third, Georgia Tech’s Courtney Ziese hit a home run to tie the game 3-3. Ziese brought in two runs off of four at-bats and two hits on the day.
Back-to-back homers from first-year Olivia Gray and Taylor delivered four runs for the Panthers in the bottom of the third, giving Pitt a 7-3 jump over Georgia Tech. But the Yellow Jackets answered in the fourth with a triple down right field and a single that brought them within two runs of Pitt’s lead.
In the top of the fifth, Georgia Tech’s Jessica Kowalewicz drove in two runs with a homer of her own and tied the game 7-7.
Georgia Tech maintained its drive in the top of the seventh and brought the score to its final standing, 9-8.
With a runner stranded on base in the bottom of the seventh, Pitt couldn’t eke out the last needed scores and Georgia Tech walked off with the game.
The Panthers were charged up for Sunday’s sunny rubber match, but Hershman led the offense around the bases and on the plate.
The Panthers were down 3-0 in the bottom of the first, but thanks to single RBIs from offensive standouts Hershman, Zeremenko and Sevilla, Pitt left the inning on top, 4-3.
Harris struggled on the mound in the second inning, hitting Georgia Tech’s Samantha Pierannunzi with a pitch before allowing two singles and one run.
Harris marked six hits in two innings pitched Sunday, before Modic replaced her.
Modic held the Yellow Jackets to four for the rest of the game. Hershman nailed a solo out to right field in the bottom of the third, bringing Pitt up 5-4.
Hershman finished the game out with three hits in three at-bats, a game-saving solo in the third, two RBIs and a walk.
She came home in the bottom of the fifth off a line drive from Gray. In the bottom of the sixth, Pitt added to its lead with three runs, and left the game 9-4 to take the series 2-1.
The Panthers look to record their 29th and 30th season wins Wednesday, April 20, at Kent State in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.