North Carolina State University Athletics
State Softball Set for Weekend Series at Virginia
4/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State softball team will head to Charlottesville, Va., this weekend for a three-game conference series against the Virginia Cavaliers. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m., while Sunday's contest will begin at noon.
The Wolfpack enters the weekend with a 23-15 overall record and a 7-5 mark in ACC play, while the Cavaliers are 12-31 and 3-12 in conference action. 
Last season, NC State swept the three-game series held at Dail Stadium. The Wolfpack won the first game, 3-0, and defeated the Cavs in the second game, 5-2. State closed out the series with a 9-1 win that was stopped after five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
NC State leads the all-time series against Virginia, 22-14. In the last trip to Charlottesville for the Wolfpack, the squad won all three games. State has won the last seven meetings against UVA. 
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, the Pack earned a 6-1 win over East Carolina. NC State was leading the Pirates, 3-0, in the second game before it was canceled due to lightning in the area.
Scouting Virginia
The Virginia Cavaliers have a 7-8 record in home games played at The Park this season. The squad recently hosted Virginia Tech on Wednesday and split the doubleheader. 
Kaitlin Fitzgerald leads the Cavaliers at the plate with a .378 batting average and a team-best 51 hits on the year. Allison Davis is tied for the team lead in home runs with seven, along with Danni Ingraham. As a team, Virginia averages 4.81 runs per game and collects 7.28 hits per game.
In the pitcher's circle, Andie Formby has made the most appearances on the year and has a 7-16 record to go along with a 5.62 earned run average (ERA). The Cavs as a staff have an ERA of 5.69 and allow 7.21 runs per game. 
Davis On a Roll
Davis has been on a tear in recent weeks and has reached base safely in a program-best 28 consecutive games. She broke the record at Georgia Tech on March 29 by reaching for the 22nd straight game to eclipse her previous school record of 21 she set in 2013.
On Monday, she was named ACC Co-Player of the Week along with Notre Dame's Katey Haus. For the week, the senior had a batting average of .500, highlighted by 11 RBI, eight hits, six runs scored and three home runs.
Swing & a Miss, Strike Three!
Senior pitcher Emily Weiman has had her way with opposing batters this season and currently leads the ACC with 209 strikeouts. That total also ranks ninth among active pitchers in the NCAA. She also has the second-most career strikeouts among active pitchers with 943.
Scoring First
When scoring the first run of a game this season, the Wolfpack has compiled an 18-4 record and in contrast, is just 4-9 when the opponent scores first.
Gimme Five
NC State is 18-2 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game. The Pack is just 5-13 when scoring less than five runs. 
Jumping On Them Early
NC State has jumped on opponents early this season, scoring 35 runs in the first inning -- the most it has scored in any inning. The Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 35-18, in the opening frame and is 15-2 when it scores in the first inning. 
Crucial Fourth Inning
When the Pack is leading the game at the end of the fourth inning, it has compiled a 20-2 record this season. State is 0-12 when trailing after the fourth and 3-1 when the score is tied. 
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