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Virginia Softball Splits Doubleheader With Georgia State
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March 29, 2002
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Virginia softball team split a doubleheader with Georgia State Friday night (March 29) at Robert Heck Field in Atlanta. The Cavaliers lost the first game 9-3, but bounced back to win the second game of the twinbill 3-2 in nine innings. UVa now stands at 30-11 on the season, while the Lady Panthers are 20-18.
In the first game, the Cavaliers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning with a pair of solo home runs. Fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) led off the fifth inning with her fifth home run of the year and then with one out, third-year left fielder Johanna Kaiser (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) hit her first career home run to stake UVa to a 2-0 lead. The Cavaliers’ lead was short lived as Georgia State answered with six runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 advantage. The Lady Panthers added three more runs in the sixth frame to take a 9-2 lead. First-year right fielder Valerie Sevilla’s (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) double in the seventh brought home first-year Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) with the Cavaliers’ third and final run of the game.
First-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) took the loss for UVa as she fell to 5-2 on the season. In 4.1 innings of work, Barstad allowed three runs on four hits. Fourth-year Erin Allinder (Norco, Calif./Norco) pitched the final 1.2 innings and gave up six runs (three earned) on four hits. Georgia State’s Lindsey French (8-5) picked up the win as she allowed three runs on six hits in a complete-game effort.. Corrie Roberts and Jennifer Hester both had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs apiece to lead the Lady Panthers.
The Cavaliers earned a split in the doubleheader with a 3-2, nine-inning victory in the nightcap. Third-year third baseman Ruby Rojas’ (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth propelled UVa to the victory. First-year right fielder M.K. White (Vienna, Va./James Madison) scored on Rojas’ single after being placed on second base to begin the inning in accordance to the international tiebreaker. Dennis struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to earn the victory. Dennis, who improves to 15-4 on the year, pitched two innings and allowed one hit and one unearned run while striking out four.
Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth on Sevilla’s bases loaded infield single that scored Kaiser from third. Georgia State tied the game at 1-1 on a UVa throwing error with two outs in the seventh. In the eighth, the Cavaliers took a 2-1 lead on second-year first baseman Hannah Owings’ (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) sacrifice fly that scored third-year catcher Brit Gore (Vienna, Va./James Madison). The Lady Panthers added a single tally in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 2-2.
Sevilla pitched the first seven innings for the Cavaliers and allowed only one unearned run on three hits. She struck out four batters and walked two before giving way to Dennis in the eighth. French (8-6) took the loss after replacing Andrea McNary in the sixth. French pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed two hits and two unearned runs. McNary gave up one run on five hits in 5.1 innings of work.
The Cavaliers begin Atlantic Coast Conference play with a doubleheader at Georgia Tech Saturday (March 30) at 1:00 p.m.