Penn State’s softball team will play against the University of Pittsburgh on March 31, with the game set to air nationally on the ACC Network. The matchup is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at Vartabedian Field and will also be available for streaming via the ESPN app.
The upcoming game marks Penn State’s national television debut this season and continues a longstanding in-state rivalry between the Nittany Lions and Panthers. The contest follows Penn State’s recent three-game sweep of Rutgers, which improved their record against Rutgers to seven wins over the last three seasons.
Freshman third baseman Allison Oneacre made headlines during that series by tying Penn State’s single-season freshman home run record, hitting her 12th and 13th homers of the year. She now shares fourth place for most home runs in a single season by any Nittany Lion player and needs eight more to surpass Cassidy Bell’s program record of 20 set in 2013. Junior pitcher McKenna Young also contributed significantly, recording an ERA of just 0.84 across three games while earning two wins.
Pittsburgh enters Tuesday night’s game with a 17-16 overall record and a challenging start in Atlantic Coast Conference play at four wins and eight losses. Led by head coach Jenny Allard, Pitt recently lost all three games against Virginia but has secured series victories over NC State and Boston College earlier this season. Graduate catcher KK Esparza leads Pitt offensively with a .403 batting average, seven home runs, and twenty-nine runs batted in.
The two teams have met twenty-nine times since their first encounter in March 2000, with Penn State holding a twenty-to-nine advantage overall. Under head coach Clarisa Crowell since 2022, Penn State has won four out of five meetings against Pitt. Their most recent matchup was an eleven-to-two win for Penn State earlier this season during the Houston Invitational.
