Carolina Welcomes Pitt for Weekend ACC Series

CHAPEL HILL – After sweeping Duke at home and a postponed midweek game, Carolina returns home to face Pittsburgh for a three-game series. The Tar Heels (11-13, 3-0 ACC) have won their past five games led by Brittany Pickett in the circle with a 1.88 ERA, and Taylor Wike at the plate with a team-best 15 RBIs.

Friday's game begins at 6 p.m. Both games Saturday and Sunday start at 1 p.m. Fans can follow each game at UNClivestats.com and watch on the ACC Network Extra.

Weekend Promotions
This weekend's ACC series is Katelyn Shifflett weekend at Anderson Stadium. Friday is Social Media day. Fans should lookout for a social media scavenger hunt on Carolina Softball's Instagram @UNCSoftball. Saturday is Ovarian Cancer Awareness day. Sunday features Champions for Change with autographs post-game.

Throughout the weekend, Carolina Softball is hosting a food drive for TABLE. TABLE is committed to feeding local children that are at risk for hunger. Through our four hunger relief and educational programs, TABLE provides healthy emergency food aid to hungry children in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area every week and educate children about healthy eating habits. Please see the flyer for more information on donation items.

About Pitt
Pittsburgh (13-10-1, 2-1 ACC) returns to the Triangle for the third time this season for the Panthers' second ACC series. Most recently, Pitt went 2-3 at the Florida Atlantic with wins over Ball State and FAU and losses to Rutgers, Stony Brook and a one-run setback to No. 21 Michigan. Carolina leads the series against Pitt, 8-4 with a sweep of the Panthers last year in Chapel Hill.

Weather in Wilmington
A time change turned into a postponed game for the Tar Heels and UNCW Seahawks on March 14. Temperatures in the low 40s with over 20 mile-per-hour winds forced the in-state foes to call the game. Carolina will return to Wilmington on April 3 for a 5 p.m. matchup at Boseman Field.

Wike Earns ACC Player of the Week
Leading Carolina with six hits, eight RBI and a .462 average, senior Taylor Wike garnered the ACC Player of the Week honor on March 13 for her first weekly accolade and the Tar Heels' second of the season. Wike led Carolina's offense with an impressive 1.000 slugging percentage and .588 on-base clip. The senior logged two triples and a home run for extra-base hits. Wike was also nearly perfect at shortstop with 10 putouts, assisting 10 to turn two double plays. She opened the weekend with a 3-for-4 outing with five RBI and two runs score against Charlotte, including a bases-clearing triple in the seventh inning. In the series opener vs. Duke, Wike logged five crucial outs in the one run game, including a double-play in the ninth inning. Saturday morning, the senior secured Carolina's victory with an RBI-triple in the sixth inning. Wike capped off the weekend with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, including a two-run home run for her fourth gone-ball of the season.

Tar Heels Turning the Corner
Since returning from California, Carolina has gone 6-3 with a series sweep over Duke to begin conference play. In the past nine games, five Tar Heels are batting over .300 with sophomores Hailey Jensen and Hailey Cole leading the charge, averaging .423 and .400, respectively. Carolina's pitching staff has limited its opponents to 23 earned runs while the offense scored 52 runs during that span. Sophomore Brittany Pickett picked up a 4-1 record with two saves in that time. Against Charlotte and Duke, senior Taylor Wike plated 11 runs, slugging 1.000 thanks to a home run and two triples.

Diamond on the Diamond
Following Carolina's 2-1, nine-inning walk-off win over Duke on Friday, March 9, the excitement had just begun. After the Tar Heels shook hands and circled for the Alma Mater, Destiny DeBerry's now fiancé, Connor Smith, entered the field from the first base dugout. With her team surrounding her and family in the stands, DeBerry said yes to the proposal.

Up Next
Carolina hits the road for two weeks, beginning with a doubleheader at USC-Upstate Tuesday before traveling to Notre Dame.

Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

Hailey Cole

Hailey Jensen

Brittany Pickett

Katelyn Shifflett

Taylor Wike

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