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UVa Softball Splits Pair Of One-Run Games With Santa Clara
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March 7, 2004
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Virginia softball team snapped a five-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Santa Clara Sunday afternoon (March 7), but lost the nightcap of the doubleheader 7-6 at Marsalli Park. UVa now stands at 10-8 overall, while Santa Clara improves to 7-14.
In the first game, fourth-year pitcher Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) limited the Broncos to one run on three hits in picking up the complete-game victory to improve to 4-1 on the season.
The Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Fourth-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) led off the inning with a single to first base and advanced to second on second-year center fielder Jessica Taylor’s (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) single to left field. Both runners advanced a base on second-year second baseman Sara Larquier’s (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) sacrifice bunt. Field eventually scored on a wild pitch. Santa Clara tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. The Cavaliers scored the go-ahead and what proved to be the game-winning run in the fifth inning. Taylor singled to shortstop with one out and moved to second on Larquier’s second sacrifice bunt of the contest. Third-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) provided the game-winning hit with a single to center field that scored Taylor from second base.
In the second game, Virginia jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Broncos used a five-run fourth inning to tie the game at 6-6 and plated the winning run in the sixth. The Cavaliers committed five errors in the game.
UVa took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Larquier hit a sacrifice fly that scored Field. Field reached base with a lead-off double to right field. The Cavaliers put five unearned runs on the board in the third inning with all five coming with two outs. Wynn drove in the first two runs with a single and then fourth-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) followed with a three-run homer to right center. It marked Owings’ fifth home run of the season, which is two more than she hit during her first three seasons.
After scoring a single run in the bottom of the third, Santa Clara tied the game at 6-6 with five runs in the fourth inning. The Broncos used five hits, including two triples and double, to plate their five runs. Santa Clara broke the 6-6 tie with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth as it took advantage of two Cavalier errors in the inning.
Barstad took the loss in relief for UVa. In 2.1 innings, Barstad (4-2) gave up one unearned run on two hits. First-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) pitched the first 3.2 innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits. She struck out one batter and walked one.
Jamie Forman-Lau (6-10) earned the victory with four innings of one-hit relief for Santa Clara. She struck out two batters and did not issue a walk.
The Cavaliers continue their West Coast swing with a doubleheader at Fresno State on Tuesday (March 9). The first game is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.