UVa Softball Loses Two Games Saturday In Worth Invitational
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Feb. 22, 2003
TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Virginia softball team dropped a pair of games Saturday (February 22) at the Worth Invitational at Hillenbrand Stadium. The Cavaliers fell to Oklahoma State 11-3 and lost to second-ranked Arizona 13-1. UVa led both games in the early stages, but gave up 22 of the 24 runs in the final two innings of the two contests. With the losses, the Cavaliers fall to 3-4 on the season and 0-4 in the tournament.
Against Oklahoma State (8-3), Virginia jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on fourth-year third baseman Ruby Rojas’ (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) third home run of the season. Oklahoma State tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the second inning. The Cavaliers came right back and regained the lead in the third inning. With one out, third-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) singled to center field and advanced all the way to third on first-year center fielder Jessica Taylor’s (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) bunt single. Field scored on Rojas’ groundout to the pitcher, giving UVa a 2-1 lead. The Cowgirls tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the fourth.
The Cavaliers took the lead for the third and final time in the fifth inning. With one out, second-year second baseman Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) reached on an infield single and then stole second base. Dennis came around to score on Field’s double to left field to push UVa ahead 3-2. Oklahoma State scored three times in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-run single by Stephanie Nicholas. Nicholas added a grand slam in a six-run Cowgirl sixth inning to make the final score 11-3.
First-year pitcher Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) took the loss in the circle for Virginia as she fell to 2-2 on the season. Horn gave up seven runs on eight hits in five innings of work. Lauren Bay picked up the win with 3.2 innings of four-hit, one-run relief work.
The Cavaliers led second-ranked Arizona (15-2) early, but the Wildcats scored 13 runs in the final two innings for a 13-1 victory. Field staked Virginia to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning with her second home run of the season.
First-year pitcher Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) held Arizona to one hit over the first three innings, but the Wildcats took the lead for good with four runs on three hits in the fourth inning. In four-plus innings of work, Grimm allowed eight runs on seven hits and issued five walks while striking out one. Third-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) gave up five runs on five hits in relief of Grimm. Alicia Hollowell improved to 8-2 with the victory. She allowed one run on two hits and struck out six in four innings of work.
The Cavaliers conclude action in the Worth Invitational on Sunday (February 23) with an 11:00 a.m. game against Western Michigan.