Softball Resumes ACC Play at N.C. State

March 16, 2017

RALEIGH, N.C. – Virginia (10-13, 2-4 ACC) will play its first road conference series of the season this weekend when it visits N.C. State (8-16, 1-2 ACC). The series opener on Friday (March 17) is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Dail Softball Stadium.

All three games will be streamed live on GoPack All-Access. Links to both the live streams and live stats can be found on virginiasports.com

Game Notes

First Time, Long Time: Last season marked the first time in 11 years that Virginia and N.C. State didn’t square off in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Cavaliers will visit Raleigh for the first time since 2014. The Wolfpack own a 24-15 edge in the all-time series and have won nine of the last 10 games against the Cavaliers.

Close Calls: A total of 12 games in the series have been decided by one run, seven in favor of Virginia. In the 2015 series in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers prevailed 3-2 in the series opener by scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a passed ball.

National Ranks: Virginia comes into the weekend ranked 22^nd in home runs per game (1.05) and 28^th in doubles per game (1.59). Senior Kaitlin Fitzgerald is the 33^rd toughest to strikeout in the country, after only fanning once in 51 at bats.

Battle Tested: Among its ACC cohorts, Virginia has struck out only 73 times as a team, the second fewest in the league. Only Louisville (72 strikeouts) has been a tougher to strikeout. Against perennial national power Arizona State on Feb. 9, Virginia didn’t strikeout once.

Outfield Helpers: Senior Iyana Hughes has five outfield assists from her spot in center field this season. Against Boston College she started a relay from right center that cut down the possible fifth Boston College run at home in the top of the sixth. All but one of her assists have caught a runner at home plate.

Against BC: In a weather-altered series in Charlottesville last weekend, Virginia and Boston College split a Friday doubleheader before the Eagles captured the series with a 10-3 victory on Saturday. BC pitcher Jessica Dreswick recorded wins in both games and Tatiana Cortez went on to win ACC co-player of the week honors after a five-hit weekend.

Shining in League Play: Going into this weekend’s series, Danni Ingraham is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with two doubles in six games against ACC foes. Senior Katie Park has seven hits in 18 at bats (.389) including two of the team’s four in-conference home runs.

Up Next: The Cavaliers will return home on Tuesday (March 21) to host a doubleheader against Towson.