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April 17, 2003
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team lost the first game of a doubleheader to Virginia Tech 6-5, but rebounded to post a 10-5 victory in the second game and earn a split Thursday (April 17) at windy Tech Softball Park. The Cavaliers now stand at 29-20 on the season, while Virginia Tech is 16-24.
In Virginia’s 6-5 loss in the first game, the Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead, only to see Virginia Tech come back to take a 4-2 advantage in the third. Third-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) led off the game with a walk and moved to second on first-year center fielder Jessica Taylor’s (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) single up the middle. Field then scored on fourth-year first baseman Ruby Rojas’ (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) single down the left field line. The Cavaliers increased their lead to 2-0 in the third inning. Rojas led off with a walk and moved to second on a Hokie error on first-year second baseman Sara Larquier’s (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) grounder. Rojas eventually scored on third-year third baseman Tracy Sherman’s (San Clemente, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal) sacrifice fly to center field.
The Hokies came back to score four runs on six hits in the bottom of the third to take a 4-2 lead. Callie Rhodes scored on Kelly Brown’s triple to left center and Brown scored on Mindi Wylie’s bunt single. Shannel Garofalo then roped a double to center and Wylie scored on Megan Evans’ single to right center. Carmen Farmer drove in Garofalo with a single down the left field line to make the score 4-2. UVa cut the deficit to 4-3 in the fourth inning. First-year pitcher Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) opened the fourth with a single to right in her first collegiate at-bat. Third-year designated player Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) followed with a double to right center and Horn scored on Field’s sacrifice fly to center field. Virginia tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth when Sherman led off the inning with a double to left center and second-year Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon), pinch running for Sherman, scored on Horn’s fielder’s choice grounder to first base. The Cavaliers regained the lead, 5-4, with a run in the sixth. With one out, Rojas doubled past the third baseman and scored on a single by second-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon). The Hokies tallied single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull out the victory. Sarah Prosise drove in the tying run with a single in the sixth and Heather Todd got the game-winning RBI with a bases loaded walk in the sixth.
Horn (12-10) suffered the loss in the circle with 3.2 innings of relief work. She allowed two runs on five hits while striking out three and walking four. Tech’s Rachel Pacheco (7-11) earned the win with three innings of relief work. She gave up two runs on three hits.
In the nightcap, UVa exploded for seven runs in the first inning en route to a 10-5 six-inning victory. Field led off the game with a walk and scored when Taylor’s double was misplayed, allowing Field to score and Taylor to move to third. After Rojas walked, Larquier plated Taylor with a single to right center with Rojas moving to third. Rojas scored on Wynn’s groundout to short. Third-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) reached on an error by the third baseman. After a groundout, fourth-year catcher Brit Gore (Vienna, Va./James Madison) walked to load the bases and fourth-year left fielder Johanna Kaiser (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) followed with a two-run single. Field drove in the final two runs of the inning with a double to the gap in right center. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 9-0 with two more runs in the third. Rojas drove in Gore and Field, who both reached base on walks, with a single to center field. The Hokies tallied for runs in the bottom of the third to trim UVa’s lead to 9-4. Wylie, Garofalo and Pacheco each had RBI singles in the inning and Wylie also scored on a double play. Grimm closed out the scoring for Virginia with a solo home run down the left field line in the fourth inning. Virginia Tech made the final score 10-5 by scoring a single run in the fifth.
Grimm notched the win in the circle in relief of Barstad. Grimm pitched the final four innings and allowed one run on four hits in improving to 11-5 on the season. Megan Stone (2-3) took the loss for the Hokies as she allowed seven runs (three earned) on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Katie Maynard pitched the final 5.1 innings for Virginia Tech and gave up three runs on three hits.
The Cavaliers return to action on Saturday, April 19 when they host ACC rival Maryland in a doubleheader at The Park. The first game is scheduled to begin at noon.