UVa Softball Defeats IUPUI 10-1 In Capital Classic
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March 15, 2002
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Virginia softball team won Pool C of the 15-team Capital Classic Softball Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record by defeating Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) 10-1 in five innings Friday night (March 15) at the Sacramento Softball Complex. The Cavaliers begin bracket play in the Capital Classic Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Their opponent is yet to be determined. UVa is now 22-8 on the season, while IUPUI falls to 3-9.
Virginia broke the game open early with seven runs in the first two innings. With one out in the bottom of the first, fifth-year center fielder Kelly McCabe (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) drew a walk and third-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) followed with a two-run homer to center field to give UVa a 2-0 lead. It was Rojas’ fourth home run of the season.
The Cavaliers put five more runs on the board in the second inning. Third-year left fielder Johanna Kaiser (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) drove in the first run of the inning with a single to right field. Second-year Tracy Sherman (San Clemente, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal), replaced Rojas in the lineup, and delivered a two-run double in her first plate appearance. Dennis knocked in Sherman with a single and Dennis came around to score on second-year shortstop Heather Field’s (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) triple to right field to close out the scoring in the second frame.
IUPIU made the score 7-1 with a single tally in the top of the third inning, but the Cavaliers answered with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Second-year center fielder Katie Weinberg (Reston, Va./South Lakes) hit her first career home run to start things off. Second-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) accounted for the final two UVa runs in the game with a two-run single to center field.
Fourth-year pitcher Erin Allinder (Norco, Calif./Norco) registered the win to improve to 3-2 on the year. She allowed one run on five hits and struck out one batter while walking one in five innings of work.
The Cavaliers pounded out 13 hits in five innings with Dennis, Sherman and Field notching two hits apiece. Rojas, Sherman and Owings each drove in two runs.