Virginia Deals UNC-Charlotte 4-1 Defeat
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April 17, 1999
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team carried a season-high nine game winning streak into its matchup with the UNC-Charlotte 49ers at The Park. UVa, winner of 14 of its last 16 contests, handed UNC-Charlotte a 4-1 loss to earn its tenth consecutive victory of the season. By recording ten consecutive wins, Virginia established the third longest winning streak in a single season in the history of the softball program at UVa. The Cavaliers have now won 15 of their last 17 contests.
After playing through three scoreless innings of softball, Virginia jumped on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning of play when Kristen Dennis (2-3, double, RBI, run) and Karen Breshears (2-3, run) each scored a run to give UVa a 2-0 lead. Dennis scored first on a passed ball by UNC-Charlotte catcher Erika Brumana, and Breshears scored the Cavaliers second and eventual game-winning run on Amy Peay’s (1-3) RBI single.
Virginia matched its fourth inning scoring output by posting two more runs in the fifth inning. Corinne Good (1-3, run) and Lori Reese (2-3, double, RBI, run) score UVa’s third and fourth runs, respectively. Good crossed the plate on Reese’s RBI double. One batter later, Dennis drove Reese in to score for the Cavaliers fourth run of the contest when she belted an RBI double of her own. Dennis’ double fell just short of being a homerun, as it bounced off the top of the left/center field fence which stood 220 feet away from home plate. Jen Krill (1-3), Mariruth Graham (1-3) and Meaghan Young (1-3) each recorded hits for UVa in the win.
UNC-Charlotte got on the scoreboard with a seventh inning comeback attempt. Stephanie Dunlap (1-3) hit s double and later scored when teammate Susan Coyle (RBI) drove her in to make the score 4-1. However, the 49ers were unable to score another run in the game, and dropped the contest by a score of 4-1.
Stacey Zagol gathered a complete game victory, as she allowed only one run on three scattered hits after striking out three 49er batters. UNC-Charlotte’s Sherry Olekson tallied the loss, as she surrendered four runs on 11 hits. Olekson was replaced by Janine Rapole in the fifth inning.
With the win, Virginia improves to 27-20 overall, 3-3 in the ACC. The loss drops UNC-Charlotte’s record to 19-25 on the season. UVa has now won 15 of its last 17 games, including a season-high ten consecutive contests. Virginia can tie the second longest winning streak by the softball program in a single season at Virginia (11 game set by 1998 squad) with a victory when the Cavaliers return to action on Sunday, April 18th to face the UNC-Charlotte 49ers at 1:00 p.m. at The Park.