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Virginia Softball Registers Come-From-Behind Win Over Western Michigan In Worth Invitational
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Feb. 23, 2003
TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Virginia softball team spotted Western Michigan a 7-0 lead after two and a half innings, but scored three runs in the fourth and six times in the sixth inning to register a 10-8 victory over the Broncos Sunday (February 23) in the Worth Invitational. With the win, UVa finishes the tournament with a 1-4 record and stands at 4-4 on the season.
Western Michigan scored four runs in the top of the first and added one run in the second and two in the third to take a 7-0 lead. The Cavaliers got on the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the third. With one out, second baseman Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) walked and moved to second on third-year shortstop Heather Field’s (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) single to shortstop. Fourth-year third baseman Ruby Rojas’ (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) delivered a two-out single to right that scored Dennis.
Western Michigan pushed its lead to 8-1 with a single run in the top of the fourth, but the Cavaliers answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to 8-4. Second-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) led off the inning with a double to center field and then first-year designated player Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) walked. First-year Rachel Goings (Clifton Forge, Va./Alleghany), pinch running for Wynn, scored when second-year right fielder M.K. White (Vienna, Va./James Madison) reached on an error by the Broncos’ shortstop. Fourth-year left fielder Johanna Kaiser (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) walked to load the bases. Third-year Tracy Sherman (San Clemente, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal) came through with a pinch hit two-run single to center that scored Larquier and White to make the score 8-4.
UVa scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good. With one out, Field, first-year center fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) and Rojas hit back-to-back-to-back singles with the second two of the infield variety. Third-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) came through with a two-run single to left that scored Field and Taylor. Wynn came up with the Cavaliers’ fifth consecutive hit, a single to center, and Rojas scored on an error on the play. Larquier put the finishing touches on Virginia’s rally with a three-run homer to make the score 10-8.
First-year pitcher Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) picked up the victory in relief of third-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) to improve to 3-2 on the season. Horn pitched six innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits. She struck out eight batters while walking four. Leah Seffernick took the loss for Western Michigan as she give up six runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings of relief work.
Field, Rojas and Wynn each had a pair of hits for the Cavaliers.
Virginia returns to action February 28 through March 2 when it competes in the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C.