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Virginia Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From Virginia Tech
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April 30, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Second-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University) had four hits and drove in six runs to lead the University of Virginia softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Virginia Tech Saturday (April 30) at The Park. UVa won the first game 4-1 and completed the sweep with a 9-1 five-inning victory in the nightcap. It marks the first time Virginia has swept a doubleheader from the Hokies. With the two wins, the Cavaliers improve to 29-29 overall, 9-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and secure the third seed in the ACC Tournament. Virginia Tech falls to 37-20 overall and 3-13 in the ACC.
In UVa’s 4-1 win in the first game, Virginia Tech jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Kelly Brown led off the game with a bloop single to left and scored on Megan Evans’ two-out triple down the right field line. The Cavaliers came back to knot the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Third-year right fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) led off the inning with a sharp single through the right side of the infield. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch. Fourth-year catcher Jenn Wynn (Herndon, Va./Herndon) brought Taylor home with a sacrifice fly to right field. UVa took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning. First-year first baseman Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif./Escondido) started the rally with a single to right field. A sacrifice moved second-year pinch runner Meghan O’Leary (Baton Rouge, La./Episcopal) to second. Second-year designated player Brooke Sorber (Alexandria Va./Mount Vernon) followed with a bunt single to move O`Leary to third and she immediately stole second base. Taylor, who had hits in her first two at-bats, was intentionally walked. Crockett came through with a two-run single down the left field line that scored O’Leary and Sorber. First-year shortstop Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md./La Plata) increased UVa’s lead to 4-1 with a solo home run to left center in the fifth.
Third-year Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) registered the complete-game victory in the circle. She scattered seven hits while allowing one run in improving to 13-8 on the year. Horn struck out four and walked three. Katie Maynard (16-11) took the loss for the Hokies. She allowed four runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
In UVa’s 9-1 five-inning win in the nightcap, the Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Crockett drew a one-out walk and third-year All-American third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) reached on a bunt base hit to second. Wynn brought Crockett home with a single to left field to give UVa a 1-0 lead. Virginia erupted for seven runs in the second inning to extend its lead to 8-0. Crockett drove in the first three runs with a triple down the right field line. Larquier then hit a grounder to second and Tech threw home, but Crockett made it back to third safely and the throw to second to get Larquier sailed into right field to allow both runners to score to make it 6-0. After consecutive singles by Wynn and Preuss, Holstun drilled a two-run double to left center to up the lead to 8-0.
Virginia Tech broke up the shutout in the fourth when Stephanie Savre singled and scored on Carolina Stolle’s double. UVa made the score 9-1 and invoked the eight-run rule in the fifth inning. Sorber led off the fifth with a single through the left side and moved to second on third-year center fielder Jackie Greer’s (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt. Sorber moved to third on Taylor’s sacrifice bunt and Crockett plated Sorber with a sacrifice fly to left field to make the final score 9-1.
Second-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) improved to 12-13 with the complete-game victory. She allowed one run on five hits with one walk. Angela Tincher (17-5) took the loss for the Hokies. She pitched one inning and gave up one run on two hits and struck out three. Maynard relieved Tincher in the second inning and was charged with six runs (five earned) on two hits and did not retire a batter. Karie Morrison pitched the final 3.2 innings and gave up two runs on five hits with one strikeout.
The Cavaliers wrap up the series against Virginia Tech with a single game on Sunday (May 1) at noon at The Park.