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Virginia Sweeps Georgia Tech in Doubleheader
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April 11, 1999
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team entered its doubleheader with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looking to build upon a five-game winning streak, and to improve upon its 1-3 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech, coming off back-to-back loses to Maryland, was searching for its first conference victory of the season. The Cavaliers swept the Yellow Jackets, taking the first game 2-0, before holding on for a 6-4 decision in the second contest.
In game one, neither team could manage to score a run through four innings of play. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, UVa jumped on the scoreboard first. Amy Peay (1-2, run) got the Cavaliers rolling with a one-out single. After advancing to second base on a fielders choice, Mariruth Graham (1-2, RBI) stepped to the plate and delivered the eventual game winning hit when she recorded an RBI single that scored Peay to give Virginia a 1-0 lead. One inning later and still leading 1-0, Lori Reese (2-3, RBI, homerun, triple, run) extended UVa’s lead when she hit a solo homerun to give the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead that the ‘Hoos would not relinquish.
Georgia Tech’s Beth Warren (1-2, double) was one of four Yellow Jackets to post a hit in the game. Virginia’s Stacey Zagol was the winning pitcher, as she held Georgia Tech to zero runs on four hits to go along with her four strikeouts in a complete game shutout. Mimi Utt took the loss, as she surrendered two runs on five hits while striking out one Cavaliers batter.
In the second game, Virginia scored one run in ever inning at bat for the game. Meaghan Young (4-4, two RBI, run) singled to start the game off and later scored on a passed ball. Georgia Tech responded by scoring a run of its own in the second inning when Erin Hawley (1-3, RBI, run) hit a singled which scored Warren (1-3, run), who doubled to get on base. That knotted the score at 1-1. In the second inning, Peay singled and eventually scored a run when Young hit an RBI single. UVa would answered the Yellow Jackets run by scoring four unanswered runs of its own over the next four innings to take a 5-1 lead.
After Virginia pulled out to a 5-1 lead, Georgia Tech made a late run in the sixth inning by scoring three runs to make the score 5-4. With the bases loaded and only one out, Warren grounded into a double play to end the Yellow Jackets late run. The Cavaliers added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Karen Breshears (1-2, two RBI) drove in Reese, who doubled to get on base, with a sacrifice fly. Virginia’s Chrissy Quinn had a solid all-around game for the Cavaliers. She went 2-3 at the plate and scored one run, and was also the winning pitcher after collecting five innings of work as a pitcher. Zagol replaced Quinn in the sixth inning to record the save for UVa. Utt received her second loss of the afternoon as a pitcher after being replaced by Jamie Smith.
UVa’s Reese (2-4, run in game-two) hit for the cycle on the day, as she recorded a homerun and a triple in the first game, before hitting a double and a single in the second game. She finished 4-7 at the plate with two runs and one RBI on the day.
With the two wins, Virginia’s record improves to 24-20 overall, 3-3 in the ACC. Georgia Tech falls to 19-25, 0-6 in the conference. UVa has now won seven consecutive games, including 12 of its last 14 contests. The Cavaliers will return to home action when they take on the George Mason Patriots in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 14 beginning at 3:00 p.m. at The Park. The Yellow Jackets will host Samford in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 13 starting at 3:00 p.m.