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Virginia Softball Drops Pair Of Games To Florida State
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April 30, 2002
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team lost a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference games to 21st-ranked Florida State Tuesday (April 30) at The Park. The Seminoles won the first game 4-0 and then took the nightcap 6-3. With the two losses, UVa falls to 44-20 overall and 1-6 in the ACC. Florida State improves to 45-14 overall and 6-0 in the conference.
In Florida State’s 4-0 win in the first game, Leslie Malerich tossed an eight-hit shutout in outdueling UVa fourth-year All-American Kristen Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon). Malerich struck out six and walked three in improving to 26-10 on the season. Dennis, who fell to 23-10 with the loss, allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits. She struck out four and walked three. Fourth-year Erin Allinder (Norco, Calif./Norco) pitched a perfect seventh for UVa.
The Seminoles broke a scoreless tie with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning. Jessica van der Linden drove in the two runs with a single to right center to stake Florida State to a 2-0 lead. The Seminoles increased their lead to 4-0 on Beth Wade’s two-run homer to right center in the sixth.
The Cavaliers had numerous chances to score in the game as they left 12 runners on base. UVa left the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings and stranded two runners in the third, fourth and seventh innings. In the second inning, Dennis nearly gave the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead, but her drive to deep right center hit the top of the fence and bounced back into the field. Dennis settled for a double on the play. First-year Valerie Sevilla (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) had a pair of hits in three at-bats for Virginia.
In the nightcap, Florida State scored a pair of runs in the first inning and tallied single runs in the second and third frames on its way to a 6-3 victory. Van der Linden limited the Cavaliers to three unearned runs on five hits in picking up the victory. Van der Linden (16-4) struck out two and walked three in six innings of work. Malerich pitched the seventh inning to earn her fourth save of the season. Sevilla (7-5) took the loss for UVa as she gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits in 1.1 innings of work. Allinder relieved Sevilla and pitched five innings while allowing three runs on six hits. Dennis worked the final two-thirds of an inning and gave up one hit and struck out two batters.
FSU scored a pair of runs with two outs in the first inning. Van der Linden walked and scored on Brandi Stuart’s triple to center. Stuart then scored on Kimmy Carter’s single through the left side of the infield. Tatiana George increased the Seminole’s lead to 3-0 with an infield single that scored Elisa Velasco. In the third inning, Carter tripled down the left field line to score Stuart, who had just reached on a single along the left field line. The Cavaliers narrowed the deficit to 4-3 with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, first-year left fielder M.K. White (Vienna, Va./James Madison) and second-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) hit back-to-back singles up the middle. Fifth-year center fielder Kelly McCabe (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) reached on a fielding error by the FSU shortstop to load the bases. Third-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) then drove in a pair of runs with a single to left. McCabe made the score 4-3 when she crossed the plate on a passed ball. Florida State added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Stuart connected for her second triple of the game to score van der Linden. Carter then drove in her third run of the game with a bunt single to close out the scoring.
Field had a pair of hits for the Cavaliers in the second game of the twinbill. FSU’s Carter had four hits and drove in three runs, while Stuart had three hits (two triples) and two RBI in the second game.
UVa is next in action at the 2002 ACC Championship May 10-12 in Tallahassee, Fla.