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March 23, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team lost to Penn State 4-3 Sunday (March 23) in the championship game of the 2003 Hoo’s Who Tournament which was played at The Park. Penn State’s Kelley Galigher drove in the game-winning run with a double to left field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Galigher was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament, while Tulsa’s Ami Day was named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the Tournament.
Virginia, which fell to 19-16 on the season, took a 1-0 lead on Penn State (16-11) in the top of the first when first-year second baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) drove in fourth-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) with a single to right center field. The Nittany Lions came right back and scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Penn State extended its lead to 3-1 in the third on Erin Norton’s single to right field that scored Galigher. The Cavaliers tallied a pair of runs in the sixth to knot the game at 3-3. Larquier drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice grounder back to the pitcher. Third-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) scored when she slid under the tag at the plate. Third-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) knotted the game at 3-3 with a single to left field that scored Rojas. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and Mandy Nuxoll on first base, the Nittany Lions’ Galigher hit a 3-2 pitch to the wall in left field for a double that scored Nuxoll with the game-winning run.
First-year pitcher Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) was the tough-luck loser in the circle and fell to 6-4 on the season. She allowed four runs, only two of which were earned, on nine hits. Shana Riggleman (3-1) picked up the victory in relief of Tina Skelly. Riggleman pitched a perfect seventh inning for the victory. Skelly pitched six innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits. She struck out two batters while walking four.
Penn State advanced to the championship game of the tournament with a 3-0 win over James Madison (10-17) in the first game Sunday morning. Marisa Hanson threw a five-hit shutout and struck out eight batters in improving to 8-5 on the season. The Nittany Lions scored single runs in the second, third and seventh innings in the victory. Liz George (4-8) took the loss for James Madison.
Tulsa (21-12) took third place in the tournament with a 6-0 win over Robert Morris (3-15). Day, who was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Tournament, limited the Colonials to two hits in the game. She struck out eight batters and walked one. Kali Byers (0-1) took the loss for Robert Morris.
The Cavaliers return to action on Tuesday (March 25) when they host UNC Greensboro in a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. at The Park.