March 27, 2008

PITTSBURGH--Coming off a bye week, Pitt's softball team opens Big East action this weekend with doubleheaders at Villanova and Rutgers. The Panthers face the Wildcats on Saturday, March 29, at noon, while they meet the Scarlet Knights at noon on Sunday, March 30.

Pitt (12-11) is coming off victories over James Madison and Akron to earn the JMU Tournament title. The Panthers were led by junior Samantha Card (Miami, Fla./Our Lady of Lourdes/Florida International) that weekend, as she tallied one home run, a .412 batting average and drove in nine runners.

Freshman Reba Tutt (Culpeper, Va./Highland) tallied her first career homer against Maryland, earlier in that week and led the squad with a .438 batting average and seven runs in the tournament.

The Panthers have won four of the last five matchups against Villanova, including an 11-3 rout last season. During that game, Pitt shattered the previous school record for stolen bases, where they ended the season with 117. Coincidentally, Pitt leads the Big East in stolen bases this season (38).

In the all-time series against Rutgers, the Panthers lead 11-8. Last season, Pitt swept the Villanova-Rutgers weekend, earning four consecutive eight-run rule victories for the first-ever time in program history.

In the first game of the doubleheader against the Scarlet Knights last year, senior Kelly Stiles (Thurmont, Md./Catocin) recorded a grand slam to end the game at 10-1.