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Horn Throws No-Hitter And Wins Two Games Against George Washington
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April 20, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Third-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) fired her first career no-hitter in the nightcap and also pitched the final 5.1 innings in the opener to lead the University of Virginia softball team to a doubleheader sweep over George Washington Wednesday (April 20) at Mount Vernon Field. The Cavaliers pounded out 27 hits in the two games, including a season-high 16 in a 9-7 nine-inning win in the first game. UVa cruised to a 7-0 win in the second game behind Horn’s stellar pitching performance. With the two victories, Virginia improves to 22-25 on the season, while George Washington falls to 9-23.
Horn improved to 9-7 on the season with the two wins in the circle. She allowed just three runners to reach base while throwing her first no-hitter. It is also the first no-hitter thrown by a Cavalier since Kristen Dennis no-hit Louisville on February 23, 2002. Horn walked two batters and a third Colonial reached base on a third-strike wild pitch. She struck out five batters while tossing the no-no in the second game. Horn nearly lost her no-hitter with no outs and a runner on first base in the seventh inning. Lisa Cohen hit a hard line drive back up the middle, but Horn got a glove on the ball and slowed it down enough for UVa to get a force out at second base. In the first game, Horn pitched 5.1 innings in relief of second-year pitcher Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) to pick up the victory in the circle. She allowed two unearned runs on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. In the first 3.2 innings, Tolar gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
In UVa’s 9-7 nine-inning win in the first game, the Cavaliers used five hits to score three runs. Third-year All-American third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) and first-year shortstop Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md./La Plata) both had RBI singles and second-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University) scored on a throwing error to account for UVa’s three runs in the first inning. George Washington tied the game in the bottom of the first. The Colonials used a single, a fielder’s choice and a hit batter to load the bases and then got three RBI singles to knot the game at 3-3.
George Washington scored an unearned run in the third to take a 4-3 lead. Jackie Yaniga led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout. She then scored on a passed ball. GW made the score 5-3 in the fourth on Lindsay Graham’s RBI single. UVa cut the deficit to 5-4 in the fifth. First-year first baseman Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif./Escondido) hit a one-out double to left field and scored on second-year designated play Michelle Salmiery’s (San Jose, Calif./Westmont) RBI single up the middle.
The Cavaliers tied the game at 5-5 in the sixth inning. With one out, Crockett collected her third single of the game. She stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Larquier drove in Crockett with the tying run with a triple to center field. Larquier also had a RBI single in the eighth inning that scored first-year center fielder Kat Mirras (Montauk, N.Y./East Hampton) to give the Cavaliers a 6-5 lead. GW tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on sacrifice fly by Colleen Kegler. UVa scored three runs in the ninth to take a 9-6 lead. Salmiery plated the first run with a sacrifice fly and then Mirras and Taylor followed with RBI singles. The Colonials added one run in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score 9-7.
Gabby Culp (2-11) was the losing pitcher for GW. In 4.2 innings of relief work, Culp gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and one strikeout. Katie Miller pitched the first 4.1 innings and allowed four runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
In the 7-0 victory in the second game, Virginia jumped out 2-0 lead in the first inning. Crockett and Larquier hit back-to-back singles and both scored on fourth-year designated player Jenn Wynn’s (Herndon, Va./Herndon) double down the left field line. Taylor led off the third inning with a triple and scored on Crockett’s single. Crockett eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. Crockett scored her third run of the game in the fifth inning as UVa increased its lead to 5-0. She hit a one-out double and scored on Larquier’s single. The Cavaliers put the game out of reach with two unearned runs in the sixth inning as Crockett came through with two-run single that scored Salmiery and Mirras.
Jen Hrycyna (7-8) suffered the loss in the circle. In 5.0 innings, she allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits with one walk. Miller pitched the final 2.0 innings and gave up one unearned run on three hits with one walk.
Crockett had an outstanding day at the plate for the Cavaliers as she tallied seven hits, including a school record tying four hits in the second game. Her six at-bats in the first contest also tied the school record. Crockett also drove in three runs and scored five times. Larquier had five hits on the afternoon and drove in four runs. Holstun registered four hits in the doubleheader, including a 3-4 performance in the opener.
The Cavaliers return to action on Thursday (April 21) when they travel to Radford, Va., for 3:00 p.m. doubleheader against Radford.