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Virginia Softball Takes Pair Of Games From James Madison
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April 21, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After pounding out 29 hits and scoring 19 runs in sweeping a doubleheader from Liberty Tuesday, the University of Virginia softball team registered 26 hits and scored 20 runs in taking a pair of games from James Madison Wednesday (April 21) at The Park. The Cavaliers had 14 hits in winning the first game 9-1 in five innings and then had 12 hits en route to an 11-4 win in the nightcap. UVa has now won five consecutive games and stands at 34-23 on the season, while the Dukes fall to 21-25.
Second-year Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) had a tremendous afternoon at the plate for the Cavaliers as she went 6-7 with two doubles, a triple, and six RBI. First-year Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University) had four hits in the twinbill and also had four RBI in the second game. Fourth-year shortstop Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) scored six runs, drew four walks and also hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season.
Virginia won the first game 9-1 in five innings as all nine starters had at least one hit and combined for 14 overall. The Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Field led off the game with a walk and advanced to second on Crockett’s bunt single. Both runners moved up on fourth-year first baseman Hannah Owings’ (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) sacrifice bunt. After a walk to third-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon), Field scored on the first of Larquier’s three hits in the game. It was also the first of three RBI in the contest for Larquier. Wynn scored the second run of the inning when first-year third baseman Amy McKean (Kent, Wash./Kentlake) drew a bases loaded walk. The Dukes cut UVa’s lead in half with a run in the fourth inning when Liz George scored on Brianna Carrera’s sacrifice fly to right field.
UVa broke the game open with six runs on eight hits in the bottom of the fourth. Second-year right fielder Jackie Greer (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) got the inning started with a double to right center. Second-year center fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) singled and then Field followed with an RBI single that scored Greer. Wynn drove in the second run of the inning with a single and then Larquier roped a two-run double to center. Third-year left fielder Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and McKean drove in the fifth and sixth runs of the inning with singles to make the score 8-1. Virginia wrapped up the victory by scoring once in the bottom of the fifth. Field led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on Crockett’s sacrifice. Owings’ doubled to shallow left center to move to Field to third. Field scored UVa’s ninth run of the game, which enacted the eight-run rule, on first-year catcher Michelle Salmiery’s (San Jose, Calif./Westmont) RBI grounder to second base to make the final score 9-1.
Second-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) picked up the complete-game victory in the circle to improve to 14-8 on the season. She allowed one unearned run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts. Renee’ Bounds (5-6) took the loss for James Madison. In 3.1 innings, she allowed seven runs on nine hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
In the second game, Field led off the bottom of the first with a home run to left center to give UVa 1-0 lead. The Dukes came back to score three runs in the second as Katie Jaworski and Megan Smith hit back-to-back doubles and then Katie George hit a two-run double to make the score 3-1. The Cavaliers answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Crockett began the rally with a two-run triple to right center that scored Taylor and Field. With two outs, Larquier hit a triple down the left field line to score Crockett, and Salmiery made the score 5-3 with a double to center. In the fourth, JMU’s Katie George hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Carrera to cut the deficit to 5-4. The Cavaliers took advantage of two Dukes’ errors to scored two runs and increase their lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fourth. After a walk to Greer, Taylor reached on an error, which also allowed Greer to move to third, and then with two outs Crockett singled to left center to bring home Greer and Taylor. UVa broke the game open with four runs in the sixth. Owings had a bases loaded RBI infield single and Larquier followed with a double down the left field line. First-year Lara Rodriguez (Oak Hill, Va./Oakton) made the score 11-4 with a RBI groundout.
First-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) pitched the first 4.1 innings to pick up the win and improve to 9-7 on the season. She gave up four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Fourth-year Joanna Barstad (Canby, Ore./Canby) allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings of relief to pick up her school-record fifth career save. Liz George (8-10) took the loss for JMU as she allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits. She struck out two and walked two.
Virginia returns to action on Saturday, April 24 when it hosts Atlantic Coast Conference rival N.C. State in a doubleheader at The Park on Senior Day. The first game begins at noon.