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April 4, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team begins Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday (April 5) when it hosts league rival Georgia Tech in a doubleheader at The Park. The first game of the twinbill will begin at noon.
The Cavaliers, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Cheryl Sprangel, enter the doubleheader with a 25-16 record and have won their last six games and eight of the last nine. UVa swept a doubleheader from East Carolina, 6-1 and 6-5, in its last outing on April 2. Georgia Tech, which advanced to the 2003 NCAA Regional finals, stands at 26-15 in 2003. The Yellow Jackets dropped a doubleheader to eighth-ranked Georgia on April 2 in their last action.
A trio of Cavaliers have shouldered much of the offensive load this season. Fourth-year third baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) tops the Cavaliers with a .387 batting average (43-111), 33 runs scored and 14 doubles. She has also driven in 24 runs and hit three home runs. Third-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) is hitting .357 (46-129) with eight doubles, three triples and three home runs. Field has scored 31 runs and driven in 19 to go along with a team-high 16 walks. First-year catcher/second baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) leads the Cavaliers with 10 home runs and 39 RBI, both of which are school records for a first-year. Larquier’s 10 home runs ranks fourth on UVa’s single season list, while her 39 RBI ties for seventh best all-time. She is hitting .351 (40-114) with a team-high 20 extra-base hits and 31 runs scored.
In the circle, first-year pitcher Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) is 12-7 with a 2.24 ERA. She has pitched a team-high 112.1 innings with 106 strikeouts. First-year Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) is 8-4 on the mound with a 2.39 ERA. Both pitchers have recorded two shutouts, while Grimm has tied the single season school record with two saves.