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Virginia Softball Wins Cavalier Classic
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March 2, 2002
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team defeated Tennessee 2-0 and Rider 6-2 Saturday (March 2) to win the Cavalier Classic at The Park. The tournament was to conclude Sunday (March 3), but expected inclement weather forced the cancellation of the third and final day of the tournament. UVa won the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record and also improved to 13-3 on the season.
Virginia clinched the tournament title by defeating Tennessee 2-0. The Vols (21-7-1) were second in the tournament with a 3-1 record, while Appalachian State (3-9) was third with a 2-2 mark. Morehead State (2-4) finished fourth with a 1-3 record and Rider (0-4) was fourth at 0-4. In other games in the tournament Saturday, Tennessee defeated Morehead State 3-0 and Appalachian State won a pair of games, defeating Rider 8-7 in 12 innings and Morehead State.
Fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) registered both victories for the Cavaliers to improve to 6-1 on the season. Dennis tossed a three-hit shutout against Tennessee with 12 strikeouts. She also pitched four innings of no-hit relief in earning the win in UVa’s 6-2 triumph over Rider. Dennis struck out 10 of 14 batters she faced against Rider.
In the victory over Tennessee, the game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when fifth-year center fielder Kelly McCabe (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) smacked a two-run double to left field. First-years MK White (Vienna, Va./James Madison) and Valerie Sevilla (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) led off the inning with back-to-back singles and scored on McCabe’s double. Stephanie Humphrey took the loss for the Vols and fell to 12-4 on the season.
In addition to earning the win against Rider, Dennis also helped her own cause with a three for three effort at the plate with one RBI and a run scored. First-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) was two for three with an RBI. UVa scored two runs in the top of the first inning and Rider answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first frame. The Cavaliers took the lead for good, 2-1, in the third, then added another run in the fourth and two in the fifth to make the final score 6-2.
In Tennessee’s 3-0 win over Morehead State, Leigh Ann Ellis earned her seventh win of the season in a six-inning, two-hit effort. Humphrey pitched the seventh inning to earn her fourth save of the season. Carrisa Roustan hit a home run for the Vols.
In a two hour and 48 minute, 12-inning marathon, Appalachian State outlasted Rider 8-7. The score was tied at 3-3 after seven innings and both teams scored two runs in the eighth frame and one apiece in the 11th inning. After Rider took a 7-6 lead in the top of the 12th, Appalachian State scored twice in the bottom of the inning to seal the victory. Jordan Arnold earned the win for the Mountaineers as she allowed seven runs on seven hits in the complete-game effort.
UVa returns to action March 8-10 when it competes in the National Invitational Tournament in San Jose, Calif. The Cavaliers open the tournament March 8 against Santa Clara and Miami University at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively.