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April 13, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of Virginia softball team dropped a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference games to North Carolina Sunday (April 13) at the UNC Softball Complex. The Cavaliers fell 10-2 in six innings in the first game and then suffered a 3-2 10-inning loss in the nightcap. With the losses, UVa falls to 26-19 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, while the Tar Heels improve to 30-16 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
In North Carolina’s 10-2 win in the opener, the Tar Heels jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings. The Cavaliers got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning when first-year pitcher Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) hit a two-run homer to left field. Second-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) led off the fourth inning with a single. Second-year Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) pinch ran for Wynn and scored on Grimm’s second home run of the season. North Carolina answered with a single run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 7-2. The Tar Heels added three runs in the sixth to make the final score 10-2.
Grimm took the loss in the circle for Virginia, falling to 9-5 on the season. In fourth innings of work, she allowed seven runs on nine hits and struck out one while walking one. Third-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) pitched the final 1.2 innings and gave up three runs on five hits.
Jaclyn Holden led the Tar Heels with three hits and three RBI, including a home run and a double. Emily Price also had three hits, while Quinn Porter and Anna Tharrington hit home runs. Crystal Cox picked up the victory in the circle with a complete-game effort. Cox (17-8) gave up two runs on six hits and struck out five while walking three.
UVa lost a heart-breaker in the nightcap, falling 3-2 in 10 innings. North Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the first and it remained that way until the top of the seventh. First-year second baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) led off the seventh with a walk and Dennis replaced her at first as a pinch runner. Dennis moved to second on a sacrifice by Wynn and scored on third-year third baseman Tracy Sherman’s (San Clemente, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal) single to center field. Sherman advanced to second on the throw home. Second-year M.K. White (Vienna, Va./James Madison) pinch ran to Sherman and moved to third on a ground out. Grimm was intentionally walked setting up a first and third situation, but White was thrown out on an unsuccessful double steal attempt.
First-year pitcher Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) sent UNC down in order in the seventh to force extra-innings. The game remained knotted at 1-1 entering the 10th inning. The Cavaliers took their first lead of the afternoon in the top of the 10th. First-year right fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) led off the inning with a double to left center. Fourth-year first baseman Ruby Rojas (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) hit a single to left field that was misplayed, allowing Taylor to score and Rojas to move to second. Larquier then singled to the pitcher and a sacrifice bunt by Wynn put runners on second and third with one out. Cox got the next two batters out to end the threat. A leadoff walk and a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt, put UNC runners on second and third with one out. A wild pitch and an error allowed the tying and winning runs to score on the same play.
Horn (12-9) was the tough-luck loser as she allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 9.1 innings of work. She struck out five batters and issued only one walk. Cox (18-8) picked up her second victory of the day with 3.1 innings of relief work. Alison Yin pitched the first 6.2 innings.
The Cavaliers return to action on Tuesday (April 15) when they host Liberty in a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m. at The Park. Admission is free of charge.