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April 29, 2003
SALEM, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team lost to Virginia Tech 7-4 Tuesday (April 29) at the Moyer Sports Complex in its final game of the regular season. With the loss, the Cavaliers fall to 34-24 overall, while Virginia Tech improves to 20-28.
UVa outhit Virginia Tech 13-11, but left 10 runners on base. The Hokies stranded 13 runners in the game.
The Hokies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Kelly Brown led off the game with a home run down the right field line and two batters later, Shanel Garofalo hit a two-run homer to left field. Virginia Tech added an unearned run in the third when pinch runner Crystal Beach scored on a two-out error.
The Cavaliers cut the deficit in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-2. With two outs, third-year third baseman Tracy Sherman (San Clemente, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal) singled up the middle. Second-year second baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) followed with a RBI double to shallow left center that scored Sherman from first base. Larquier advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on second-year catcher Jenn Wynn’s (Herndon, Va./Herndon) single to right field. The Hokies answered with three runs on five hits in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 7-2. Tech’s Megan Evans drove in the first run of the inning with a double and Carmen Farmer and Sarah Prosise added run-scoring singles.
UVa made the score 7-3 in the bottom half of the fourth. Fourth-year left fielder Johanna Kaiser (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) led off the inning with a bunt single and eventually scored on second-year right fielder M.K. White’s (Vienna, Va./James Madison) single down the right field line. The Cavaliers threatened in the sixth as they loaded the bases with no outs, but Virginia Tech pitcher Katie Maynard got out of the jam by inducing an infield fly and a pair of strikeouts. Larquier led off the seventh inning with a home run to center field to make the final score 7-4. It was Larquier’s team-leading 12th home run of the season, just one shy of Kristen Dennis’ 2002 school record total of 13. She also increased her season RBI total to 49 which ties Dennis for the second most RBI in a single season by a UVa player.
First-year pitcher Christina Grimm (Los Osos, Calif./Morro Bay) took the loss in the circle. In three innings of work, Grimm (13-7) allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits. She struck out two batters but walked seven. Third-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) pitched the final four innings and gave up one run on five hits. Barstad struck out four batters and walked two. Maynard improved to 10-12 on the season with the complete-game victory. She gave up four runs (three earned) on 13 hits with five strikeouts and only one walk.
Larquier led the Cavaliers with a 3-4 effort at the plate with a double, a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Kaiser raised her batting average to .317 with a 3-4 effort. Second-year second baseman Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) added a pair of hits in as many at-bats.
Virginia returns to action May 9-11 when it competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at the Seminole Softball Complex at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.