UVa Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From Sacramento State
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March 12, 2002
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Virginia softball team scored eight of its nine runs on the afternoon in the seventh inning in sweeping a doubleheader from Sacramento State Tuesday (March 12) at Shea Stadium. The Cavaliers scored both of their runs in the seventh inning in earning a 2-0 victory in the first game. In the nightcap, UVa rallied from a 6-1 deficit with sixth runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 7-6 come-from-behind win over the Hornets. With the two victories, the Cavaliers improve to 17-7 on the season, while Sacramento State falls to 8-14.
In the first game, fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) threw a two-hit shutout in Virginia’s 2-0 victory. She struck out five and walked one batter in the game. Dennis, who is now 9-3 on the season, also registered the victory in the second game with 3.1 innings of three-hit relief work.
After six scoreless innings in the first game, the Cavaliers finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. Third-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) led off the inning with a walk. She moved to third on second-year first baseman Hannah Owings’ (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) single to right center. Owings advanced to second on the Hornets’ throw to third. After a groundout, first-year second baseman Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) laid down a suicide squeeze bunt that scored Rojas with the winning run. Owings also scored on the play on an error by the pitcher.
Owings was one of three Cavaliers with two hits in the game. Fifth-year center fielder Kelly McCabe (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) and second-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) also registered a pair of hits.
In the second game, UVa rallied with six runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 7-6 victory. Second-year catcher Stephanie Calhoun (Spring Valley, Calif./Mount Miguel) got things going with a leadoff walk and Rojas followed with a two-run homer to center field. After a Sacramento State pitching change, Owings single to right. A Hornet error allowed Owings to advance to second and third-year second baseman Jill Bumler (Montclair, Va./Bishop O’Connell) to reach on a fielder’s choice. With one out, first-year right fielder Valerie Sevilla (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) singled to left to load the bases. After a Cavalier strikeout for the second out of the inning, Field drove in UVa’s third run of the inning with a single to shortstop. Kristen Dennis supplied the game-winning hit with a three-run double to right center that gave the Cavaliers a 7-6 lead.
Sacramento State jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Field drove in third-year left fielder Johanna Kaiser (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) with single in the top of the sixth for UVa’s first run of the game. The Hornets answered with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 6-1 lead.
Fourth-year pitcher Erin Allinder (Norco, Calif./Norco) started game two for Virginia and gave up three runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work. Dennis picked up the victory with 3.1 innings of relief work, allowing three unearned runs on six hits. Dennis and Field both had two hits in the second game.
UVa returns to action on Wednesday (March 13) with a doubleheader against St. Mary’s in Moraga, Calif. The first game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.