Brittany Pickett throws complete-game shutout as UNC softball beats USC Upstate, 1-0

There was no transition period to help North Carolina pitcher Brittany Pickett acclimate to college softball.

Even though she didn’t anticipate it, head coach Donna Papa put the ball in Pickett’s hand at the beginning of the season and essentially said, “Let’s go.”

The Tar Heels have relied on the first-year ace as if she were a seasoned veteran.

Pickett continued an impressive rookie campaign Wednesday, throwing a complete-game shutout as UNC (32-11) claimed a 1-0 win over USC Upstate (33-10) — a formidable opponent that entered the contest as a top-50 RPI team.

Against the Spartans, she was able to effectively pitch to contact, which is something she has done for much of the season. USC Upstate managed just three hits against her, and she issued only two walks.

“I battled really well with all the hitters,” Pickett said. “I know after the first inning I could tell what the pattern was, so after seeing them the first time around, I started mixing pitches and it kept them really off balance.”

With the win, Pickett improved to 17-2 and her current win percentage — 89.5 percent — would stand as a UNC first-year record. She’s also recorded five saves, which is two more than the previous first-year record.

“She’s handled things really well,” Papa said. “She’s making pitches when she needs to make pitches more so, I think, than she did earlier.”

Things weren’t always going this well for Pickett. Learning the nuances of the college game on the go, she gave up three earned runs in just two innings of work in her college debut against Illinois in February. Nine appearances into her college career, she had a 4.20 ERA.

But she hit her stride in late February. Starting with a scoreless inning against Hampton, Pickett lowered her ERA in 13 consecutive outings.

Within that stretch, she helped UNC open up conference play with a 5-1 victory against Pittsburgh in which she struck out six and allowed only one run in seven innings.

“I knew they were a pretty tough team,” she said, “and then doing so good that night, I kept feeding myself positive thoughts and telling myself I could face any batter.”

Since then, she’s been in great form. Through 34 appearances on the mound — 16 of which have been starts — Pickett has a 2.15 ERA and leads the Tar Heels in virtually every pitching category, including innings pitched (136.2), strikeouts (96) and saves (5).

It’s not a surprise to UNC first-year Micaela Abbatine — who provided the game-winning RBI single against USC Upstate — that Pickett is succeeding the way she is.

“She’s awesome,” Abbatine said. “I can definitely see her being ACC Freshman of the Year. She’s doing amazing.”

Beyond that, Papa envisions even bigger rewards for Pickett.

“She’s going to be really good,” Papa said. “I tell ya, in about a year or two, she’s going to be an All-American. I see that in her.”

@brennan_doherty

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