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Virginia Softball Drops Doubleheader To North Carolina
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April 3, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team lost both games of its Atlantic Coast Conference opener to North Carolina Saturday (April 3) at The Park. Both contests were tied late in the game, but the Tar Heels pulled ahead both times to earn 3-1 and 7-2 victories. UVa now stands at 25-20 overall and 0-2 in the ACC, while UNC ran its win streak to six games to improve to 32-14 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
In the first game, North Carolina’s Crystal Cox (17-8) out-dueled UVa second-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) for the 3-1 victory. Cox limited Virginia to one run on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Horn (10-7) gave up three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Fourth-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) pitched the final inning and allowed one hit.
The Tar Heels broke up a scoreless tie with a run in the top of the fifth inning when Dionne Streete drew a bases loaded walk that scored pinch runner Marissa May. Horn prevented further damage by striking out the next two batters. The Cavaliers came right back and tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning. Second-year third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) led off the inning with a triple to left field. First-year pinch hitter Lara Rodriguez (Oak Hill, Va./Oakton) delivered Larquier with the tying run with a one-out infield single between third base and shortstop.
North Carolina scored what proved to be the game-winning run when Emily Price led off the sixth inning with a home run to center field. The Tar Heels added an insurance run later in the inning on Julia Bove’s single.
In the second game, UVa took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when third-year Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) drove in fourth-year first baseman Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) with a single down the left field line. In the second inning, Larquier led off with a double to left field and scored on third-year left fielder Lauren Dennis’ (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) triple to center field to give Virginia a 2-0 lead. The Tar Heels tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. May scored on Jessica Graziano’s suicide squeeze and Bove added a run-scoring single to tie the game at 2-2. In the seventh inning, an infield error, a bunt single and a hit batter loaded the bases for Price, who delivered the game-winning run with a wind-blown single to right center that scored Streete from third. A throwing error also allowed Natashalyn Snipes to score on the play. Bove then hit a two-run single and Theresa Nicholas added a sacrifice fly to bring in the fifth run of the inning.
Alison Yin (12-6) picked up the complete-game victory in the circle. She gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk. First-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) was the losing pitcher as she fell to 6-6 on the season. In six-plus innings, Tolar allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Barstad pitched the final inning and gave up two runs on three hits.
Larquier was 3-3 in the second game and had four hits and scored two runs in the doubleheader.
Virginia returns to action on Tuesday, April 6 when it travels to Towson, Md. for a doubleheader against Towson University. The first game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.