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Virginia Softball Drops Pair Of One-Run Games To Towson
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April 5, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team lost a pair of one-run games to Towson Tuesday (April 5) at The Park. The Cavaliers let a four-run lead slip away and lost the first game of the doubleheader 5-4 and the Tigers completed the sweep with a 3-2 10-inning victory in the nightcap. With the two losses, UVa falls to 14-21 on the season, while Towson is 17-11 and has won its last nine games.
In the first game, the Cavaliers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Towson scored five runs over the final three innings for a 5-4 come-from-behind victory. Third-year right fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) and second-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University) had back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Taylor eventually scored on third-year third baseman Sara Larquier’s (Burbank, Calif./Burbank) sacrifice fly and Crockett scored on fourth-year catcher Jenn Wynn’s (Herndon, Va./Herndon) suicide squeeze. UVa increased its lead to 4-0 with two runs in the third inning. Crockett scored her second run of the game on Wynn’s sharp single up the middle and Larquier made the score 4-0 when she crossed the plate on a double steal attempt.
Towson got on the scoreboard with a leadoff homer from Nina Navarro in the fifth inning. Keely Walsh had a RBI single in the sixth inning to make the score 4-2. The Tigers pulled out the win with a three-run seventh inning. Navarro led off the inning with a double and scored on Aimee Rosa’s single. Pinch runner Jen Hastings advanced to second on Megan Zwoyer’s single. After a strikeout, Katie Mumbauer singled to load the bases with two outs. Hastings then scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Zwoyer scored the game-winning run when UVa committed an error while attempting to throw Hastings out at the plate.
Second-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) took the loss in the circle to fall to 5-9 on the season. She held Towson to one hit before being removed from the game after four innings. Second-year Meghan O’Leary (Baton Rouge, La./Episcopal) pitched the next two innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Tolar re-entered the game with a runner on second base in the seventh and gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits. Tolar struck out six batters and walked one in the game. Jessica Wides (6-5) picked up the complete-game win in the circle. She allowed four runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
In the second game, Towson grabbed a 1-0 lead on Rosa’s RBI double to left center in the fourth inning. Virginia came back to tie the game at 1-1 in the sixth. Larquier led off the inning with a double to right center and moved to third on Wynn’s sacrifice bunt. Larquier scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
The game remained tied at 1-1 after seven innings. Neither team was able to score in the first extra frame. The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the ninth on Walsh’s sacrifice fly to right that scored Navarro, who was placed on second base to start the inning in accordance to the international tie-breaker rule. Second-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif./Westmont) came through with a clutch two-out RBI single that scored first-year shortstop Kierstie Cameron (Pinon Hills, Calif./Serrano) from third base to tie the game at 2-2. Towson scored the game-winning run with two outs in the 10th inning when Jillian Fraser’s routine grounder to shortstop took a bad hop and went for a single that scored Rosa from third base.
Third-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) was the tough-luck loser in the circle. Horn (5-5) pitched all 10 innings and struck out a career-high 13 batters while walking only one. She gave up just one earned run. Jessica Fisher (8-4) pitched the final four innings to pick up the victory. She allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out three batters.
The Cavaliers return to action this weekend when they host ACC rival Maryland in a three-game series at The Park. The series starts with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 9) at noon.