Pitt Comes To ‘Cuse For Key Series

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Conference play continues Saturday and Sunday at Skytop Softball Stadium when Syracuse (15-19) takes on Pittsburgh (26-14). Just nine ACC contests remain for each team as the fight for the postseason begins.

Fans, be sure to wear your pink as Saturday's doubleheader at 1:00 p.m., is also Breast Cancer Awareness Day for the Orange. Fans in attendance will receive breast cancer awareness ribbons at the field.

Picking Apart The Panthers
Pittsburgh is in the midst of a breakout season as it currently has 11 more wins than it did all season last year. Its record is in large part due to its 10-game winning streak to begin the season. The Panthers also got off to a hot start in conference play, taking two out of three against NC State and Georgia Tech. Since, Pitt has lost six straight within the conference after being swept by Florida State and Notre Dame.

The offense has thrived overall but has struggled against ACC pitchers. This season, the Panthers have four players hitting .325 or better and its lineup collectively boasts a .289 batting average. However, only two batters bat above .300 in ACC games. Jenna Modic and Shelby Pickett lead the offense with .435 and .333 batting averages respectively. The lineup hits .234 against ACC opponents.

Starting hurlers, Savannah King and Kayla Harris lead the pitching staff with 3.07 and 3.89 earned run averages respectively. King has had the majority of the success with 15 wins in 21 games started. Harris has nine wins in 15 games started. However, much like the offense, the staff has struggled at times against conference opponents. King has made 10 starts and has a 4.95 ERA with four wins and six complete games while Harris has a 6.52 ERA, two wins, four games started and seven appearances but has not gone the distance.

'Cuse Notes

Since Louisville, Maddi Doane has been on fire at the plate and is currently rocking a three-game hitting streak. In the eight-game stretch, the freshman has hit .375 with 10 hits, eight runs, seven runs batted in and four extra base hits including her first career home run. She is now hitting .283 on the season with a .451 slugging percentage and a .367 on-base percentage. Her slugging and on-base percentages give her an impressive .818 OPS. She's also thrived in the spotlight, hitting .432 with runners on base and .520 with runners in scoring position.
Sydney O'Hara has been impressive at the plate since the Yale matchup when she went two-for-three with two runs scored, two runs batted in, a home run and a double. Since, she has hit .333 for the Orange with 15 hits, 11 runs scored and 15 runs batted in with five home runs and a double. Similar to Doane, she's hitting .289 this season with a .515 slugging percentage and a .355 on-base percentage but has stepped it up in pressure situations. With runners on she's hitting .345 and when runners are in scoring position the number jumps to .400.
In the three-spot, Corinne Ozanne continues to give pitchers headaches with a .313 batting average, 11 home runs, 25 runs batted in and 17 runs scored. Her 11^th home run of the season was a big one, as it was the difference in Syracuse's 4-2 victory against North Carolina on Friday, April 3. She's homered three times in the last seven games and is currently riding a six-game hitting streak.
Jocelyn Cater continued her masterful ways against Canisius, holding the Griffs to four hits and allowing just one run in five innings after blanking them for the first four innings. She struck out eight opposing hitters in the contest as well. The win was her 11^th of the season and with the performance, her earned run average drops to 3.23 on the year. She's averaging 9.07 strikeouts per seven innings with 177 punch outs on the season in 136.2 innings of work. The total ranks her 17^th in the country and the average has her 26^th.
AnnaMarie Gatti made her first career start in the final game of the North Carolina doubleheader and was impressive to say the least. After giving up a run in the first, Gatti settled down hold the Tar Heels scoreless the next four innings until the sixth when she was tagged for two runs. In 5.2 innings of work she gave up seven soft hits but of the three runs UNC scored, only one run was batted in, two were scored on wild pitches. Hitters had a difficult time getting under the ball as well as she induced 12 ground outs, two fly outs and recorded two strikeouts.
Sydney O'Hara is back pitching for the Orange and for the first time this season, Syracuse has four starters to throw at its opponents.

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Players Mentioned

Jocelyn Cater

Maddi Doane

AnnaMarie Gatti

Sydney O'Hara

Corinne Ozanne

Syracuse University Athletics