Virginia Softball Take Twinbill From Wright State In Hoo's Who Tournament
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March 23, 2002
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team received a pair of outstanding pitching performances from fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) in sweeping a doubleheader from Wright State 4-0 and 6-4 Saturday (March 23) in the second day of the 2002 Hoo’s Who Tournament at The Park. In other second-day action, Penn State registered 5-1 and 13-5 wins over Drexel. Both UVa and Penn State are 4-0 in the Hoo’s Who Tournament, while Wright State and Drexel are both 0-4. With their two victories, the Cavaliers improve to 27-10 on the season and have won 26 consecutive home games. The Natty Lions improve to 12-11 with their two victories. Wright State and Drexel fall to 4-12 and 2-17, respectively.
Dennis pitched 10.2 innings and did not allow a run in earning the win in both games. In the two games, she gave up only four hits and struck out 23 batters without issuing a walk. Dennis started the first game of the doubleheader against Wright State and pitched four innings while allowing just an infield single. She struck out nine of the 13 batters she faced. Dennis entered the second game in the first inning after the Raiders scored four runs. Dennis retired the next two batters to end the first inning. In 6.2 innings of work in the second contest, she allowed three hits while striking out 14 batters. With the two wins, Dennis improves to 13-4 on the season and lowered her ERA to 0.65.
In the first game, the Cavaliers posted a 4-0 win over Wright State and scored all four of their runs in the first three innings. Dennis drove in the only run UVa would need in the first inning with a double to center field that scored first-year right fielder Valerie Sevilla (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga), who led off the game with a walk. In the third inning, second-year designated player Stephanie Calhoun (Spring Valley, Calif./Mount Miguel) provided the big hit with a two run single. Kristin Bultinck (3-5) gave up four runs on five hits in a losing effort for the Raiders.
After spotting Wright State a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Virginia gradually chipped away at the Raider lead and took the lead for good, 5-4, with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. UVa cut the lead in half with single runs in the first and second inning. Third-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) drove in the first run with a single and then Dennis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second to force home UVa’s second run of the inning. In the fifth, second-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) and Sevilla notched run-scoring singles to pull the Cavaliers even at 4-4. Calhoun then drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a single down the right field line. Rojas hit a one-out triple in the sixth and scored on an error to make the final score 6-4. Bultinck also suffered the loss in the second game as she allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings of relief work.
Penn State third baseman Jennifer Tripken had three hits, scored four runs and tallied seven RBI to lead the Nittany Lions to 5-1 and 13-5 victories over Drexel. In the 5-1 win, PSU’s Marisa Hanson allowed only three hits in six innings to improve to 6-4 on the season. Tripken hit a double and a triple and drove in a pair of runs. Elizabeth Fuller (0-6) took the loss as she gave up five runs on eight hits.
In its 13-5 victory in the second game, Penn State scored two runs in the first and five more in the second to break the game open. Tripken hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, while Erin Norton hit a three-run double in the second inning. Missy Beseres (4-2) gave up five runs on seven hits in earning the victory. The Dragons’ Krista Van Wert (0-5) was the losing pitcher as she allowed six runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of work.
The 2002 Hoo’s Who Tournament concludes Sunday with two doubleheaders. Drexel and Wright State play a doubleheader starting at 9:00 a.m. and Penn State and Virginia square off in a twinbill at 1:00 p.m.