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Virginia Splits Doubleheader with #25 Maryland
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April 24, 1999
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team earned a doubleheader split with the #25 ranked Maryland Terrapins at The Park. The Cavaliers and the Terrapins each entered the contests on a roll. UVa had won 17 of its last 20 outings, and Maryland had gathered 21 victories in its last 24 games. The Terps captured the first game of the doubleheader by the score of 5-2, before the ‘Hoos pulled out a 1-0 decision in the second contest of the afternoon.
In the first game of the day, Maryland made an opening statement in the first inning by scoring three runs after only five batters had stepped to the plate. Kelly Shipman (2-4, run) led the game off with a single before Shelly Burrell (1-4, run) followed her lead with a single of her own. One batter later, Jennifer Potzman (1-2, two RBI, two runs) put Maryland up 2-0 when she hit a two-run RBI double off the top of the left field fence. After UVa’s Stacey Zagol (2-3, double) struckout Maryland’s next batter, Kiesha Pickeral (1-4) hit an RBI double of her own to score Putzman which gave the Terps a 3-0 lead. Virginia’s Zagol was then replaced by Kristen Dennis, who got the Cavaliers out of the inning trailing by three runs.
Maryland would extend its lead by another run in the third inning when Beth Radford (1-3, two RBI) scored Putzman on a fielders choice to make it a 4-0 game. The Terps eventually pulled out to a five run lead when Radford hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning to make it a 5-0 Terrapin advantage. UVa would finally answer Maryland’s five unanswered runs with two of its own in the sixth inning when Julie Amaon and Amy Peay each scored a run to close the gap to 5-2. However, that would be as close as Virginia would get, as Shipman held the Cavalier offense at bay en route to her school-record 24th win of the season as a pitcher. She allowed only two runs on four hits while striking out a game-high 10 batters. Zagol collected the loss for UVa.
Game two of the doubleheader turned into a pitchers duel between Maryland’s Shipman and Virginia’s Dennis. After seven and a half scoreless innings of play, the Cavaliers received their chance to win the game. With the score knotted at 0-0 and UVa’s Lori Reese at the plate with two outs and no runners on base, Maryland shortstop Jennifer Potzman recorded a costly an error that allowed Reese to reach first base. Reese then stole her 18th base of the season to put the winning run on second base for the Cavaliers. Virginia’s Dennis (1-4) then reached first base on an error by Maryland’s Beth Radford to put runners on the corners. One batter later, Karen Breshears (1-4) stepped to the plate and made the most of her at-bat in the tune of an RBI, game-winning single that scored Reese to seal a 1-0 victory for the Orange and Blue. Jen Krill finished 2-3 at the plate for UVa.
Dennis posted the win as she threw a one-hitter to go along with four strikeouts in a complete game shutout. Dennis’ lone hit went to the Maryland’s Shipman, who gathered the loss after allowing only one run (unearned) on five hits to add with her four strikeouts.
With the split on the day, Virginia’s record moved to 30-22 overall, 4-4 in the ACC, and 16-4 at “The Park.” Maryland’s record moved to 41-19 overall, 6-2 in the conference. The loss snapped Maryland’s school-record nine game winning streak. UVa will return to home action on Tuesday, April 27 when Virginia faces the Virginia Tech Hokies in doubleheader. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. and will be played at The Park. The Terrapins will return home action to face the George Mason Patriots on Thursday, April 29 at 3:00 p.m.