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March 15, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team suffered its first home losses of the season as Seton Hall swept a pair of games from the Cavaliers Saturday (March 15) in the second day of competition in the Cavalier Classic at The Park. The Pirates won by scores of 2-0 and 6-1. In the other doubleheader Saturday, Bowling Green swept a pair of games from Stony Brook, 6-0 and 8-0. With the two wins, Seton Hall improves to 4-0 in the tournament and 6-2 on the season, while UVa drops to 13-13 overall and 2-2 in the tourney.
In Virginia’s 2-0 loss in the first game against Seton Hall, the Pirate’s Christina Shanko held UVa hitless for 5.1 innings before losing her no-hit bid on third-year Tracy Sherman’s (San Clemente, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal) pinch-hit double to the gap in left center. The Cavaliers loaded the bases in the seventh with just one out, but Shanko got out of the jam with an infield fly and a strikeout to end the game and earn the shutout. In addition to allowing only four hits, Shanko (4-0) struck out six while walking one. The Pirates scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on Laura Taylor’s third home run of the tournament and a RBI double by Mary Carroll Smith. UVa first-year pitcher Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) gave up just five hits in falling to 6-6 on the season. She allowed two earned runs and struck out six while walking one.
In the nightcap, Seton Hall scored an unearned run in the first inning and Taylor blasted her fourth homer of the tournament in the third to put the Pirates ahead for good. Seton Hall added two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to make the final score 6-1. The Cavaliers tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on second-year catcher Jenn Wynn’s (Herndon, Va./Herndon) base hit up the middle that scored first-year right fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy). Taylor had two of UVa’s seven hits in the game. Megan Meyer (2-2) earned the victory in the circle for Seton Hall as she gave up just one run on seven hits while striking out four and walking one. First-year Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) took the loss for Virginia and fell to 3-3 on the season. In 4.1 innings of work, she allowed six runs (only two earned) on seven hits and struck out three while issuing three walks.
Bowling Green (8-7-1) got shutout pitching performances from Kristen Anderson (2-0) and Liz Vrabel (5-2) in its victories over Stony Brook (3-9). Anderson limited the Seawolves to five hits in Bowling Green’s 6-0 victory in the first game of the doubleheader. She struck out four and walked two in a complete-game effort. The Falcons pounded out 12 hits, including a home run by Libby Voshell, in the win. Stony Brook’s Jessica Paparella (2-4) was the losing pitcher.
The Falcons made quick work of Stony Brook in the second game of the doubleheader as they registered an 8-0 win in five innings. Vrabel allowed three singles while whiffing 10 batters in earning the victory. Voshell was 3-3 in the game, while Jenifer Kernahan drove in three runs. Angela Andrews (1-5) pitched four innings for the Seawolves and allowed eight runs on 11 hits.
The Cavalier Classic concludes Sunday (March 16) with Seton Hall and Stony Brook playing a doubleheader at 10:00 a.m. UVa will play Bowling Green in a twinbill beginning at 11:00 a.m.