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March 28, 2004

Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team fell to N.C. State 3-2 in 10 innings Sunday (March 28) in the championship game of the Hoo’s Who Tournament at The Park. The Cavaliers advanced to the championship game with a 5-0 win over Penn State, while N.C. State earned a spot in the finale with a 4-0 win over Binghamton. UVa stands at 23-18 on the season, while the Wolfpack improve to 21-17.

In the championship game, N.C. State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Heather Jedrey’s RBI single. The Cavaliers knotted the game at 1-1 in the third when second-year third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) singled to left to score fourth-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) from second base. Owings reached base on an infield single. The Wolfpack regained the lead, 2-1, on Miranda Ervin’s RBI single in the top of the sixth. The Cavaliers answered in the bottom half of the inning when fourth-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) tripled to right field to score first-year designated player Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va./Mount Vernon) who singled earlier in the inning.

Neither team scored in the seventh, which forced extra innings. Both teams failed to score in the eighth and ninth innings after starting the innings with runners on second base in accordance to the international tie-breaker. N.C. State broke through in the 10th when pinch hitter Jennifer Patterson singled up the middle to score Renee LaCroix from second base to give the Wolfpack a 3-2 lead. The Cavaliers were unable to push across the tying run in the bottom of the 10th.

First-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) was the tough-luck loser as she fell to 6-5 on the season. She gave up three runs (two earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts and only one walk in a 10-inning complete-game effort. Abbie Sims (15-6) picked up the victory and allowed two runs (one earned) on 10 hits. Sims struck out eight and walked five.

Virginia advanced to the championship game of the tournament with a 5-0 win over Penn State (12-19). Second-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) tossed a three-hit shutout in earning the victory in the circle. Horn improved to 9-6 with the win and retired the last 12 batters she faced. She struck out six batters and walked two. Missy Beseres (5-10) took the loss as she allowed five runs (four earned) on 12 hits. She issued four walks and struck out six.

UVa took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Owings led off the inning with an infield single and third-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) followed with a two-run homer to right center. It marked Wynn’s first career home run. The Cavaliers increased their lead to 3-0 when third-year left fielder Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) scored on first-year right fielder Jackie Greer’s (Portage Mich./Portage Northern) bunt single. In the seventh, Larquier blasted her third home run of the season to make the score 4-0. Dennis then doubled to left center, stole third base and scored on Sorber’s sacrifice fly to left field to close out the scoring.

Penn State advanced to play Virginia with a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Seton Hall. The Nittany Lions received RBI singles from Leigh Murray and Scarlett Neal in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 3-2 deficit. Murray also hit a two-run homer in the third inning to account for Penn State’s first two runs.

N.C. State’s Shaina Ervin threw a no-hitter in leading the Wolfpack to a 4-0 win over Binghamton and a ticket to the championship game. Irvin struck out 12 and walked three in throwing N.C. State’s first no-hitter ever.

Virginia returns to action on Wednesday (March 31) when it hosts Brown in a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. at The Park.

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