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March 18, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team split a pair of games with Rutgers Tuesday (March 18) at The Park. The Cavaliers won the first game 5-2, but couldn’t sustain the momentum of the game one win and lost the nightcap 6-1. UVa now stands at 16-14 on the season, while the Scarlet Knights are 8-7.
In UVa’s 5-2 win in the first game, the Scarlet Knights took a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning. First-year pitcher Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) cut the deficit in half with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning. It was Grimm’s first collegiate home run. Virginia took the lead for good with three runs in the fifth inning. With one out, first-year left fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) singled up the middle and fourth-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) walked. Both runners scored on first-year second baseman Sara Larquier’s (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) double to the base of the fence in left center. UVa added its third run of the inning when third-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) scored on Grimm’s bases loaded single to center field. Virginia added an insurance run in the sixth when Taylor scored an unearned run on a Rutgers throwing error.
Grimm improved to 4-3 with the victory in the circle. She pitched 6.1 innings and gave up two unearned runs on six hits. Grimm walked five batters and struck out four. First-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) earned her first collegiate save by retiring the final two Rutgers batters. Horn entered the game with the bases loaded with one out in the top of the seventh and got the first batter she faced to strike out and the next batter to ground out to end the game. Brielle Cosentino (3-4) took the loss in the circle for Rutgers. In 4.1 innings she allowed four runs on seven hits and walked four and struck out one.
In the second game, Andria Koehler limited the Cavaliers to one run on five hits in Rutgers’ 6-1 victory. She struck out five batters and walked only one. Third-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) took the loss and fell to 5-5 on the season. Barstad got only one out in the first inning before allowing four runs on five hits. Horn pitched the final 6.2 innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. She struck out seven batters and issued four walks.
Rutgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning as it put together five consecutive hits in the inning. The Cavaliers answered with one run in the bottom of the inning. Third-year Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) led off the bottom of the first with a triple to right field and scored on Rojas’ sacrifice fly to short right center. Rutgers got the run back on Nikki Childress’ home run in the third inning. The Scarlet Knights extended their lead to 6-1 with an unearned run in the sixth.
The Cavaliers return to action March 21-23 when they host the Hoo’s Who Tournament at The Park. In addition to UVa, James Madison, Penn State, Robert Morris and Tulsa will compete in the tournament. Virginia opens the tournament on Friday (March 21) at 1:00 p.m. against Robert Morris.