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May 12, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Third-year third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./Burbank) hit an infield single to drive in third-year right fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) with the game-winning run to lift the University of Virginia softball team to a 5-4 victory over Maryland Thursday (May 12) in the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Tournament, which is being held at the Terrapin Softball Complex. With the victory, the Cavaliers advance in the winners bracket and will play Virginia Tech Friday (May 13) at 11:00 a.m. UVa now stands at 30-30 on the season, while Maryland falls to 26-20.
With the game tied at 4-4, Taylor led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to the gap in left center. Second-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University) moved Taylor to third with a sacrifice bunt. After Maryland brought Abby Welch in relief of starter Crystal Crews, Larquier, who was just named the 2005 ACC Softball Player of the Year, came through with a base hit to second base that brought in Taylor with the game-winning run. It marked the 13th time this season Larquier has driven in the game-winning run.
In the first inning, Maryland used a hit batter and two singles to take a 1-0 lead. Nneka Cardoza was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and moved to second on a wild pitch. She advanced to third on Crystal Tweedy’s single up the middle and scored on Keri Lounge’s single through the left side of UVa’s infield. The Cavaliers came back to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. First-year first baseman Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif./Escondido) led off the inning with a single to center field. Fourth-year Lauren Dennis (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) pinch ran for Holstun and stole second base. First-year left fielder Kat Mirras (Montauk, N.Y./East Hampton) then drew and walk and both runners advanced on second-year designated player Brooke Sorber’s (Alexandria, Va./Mount Vernon) sacrifice bunt. Dennis scored on third-year center fielder Jackie Greer’s (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) RBI grounder to second base.
Maryland scored a pair of unearned runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. Cardoza and pinch runner Whitney Reigel both scored with two outs when UVa committed an error on Crystal Rizzuto’s grounder to second base. Virginia answered with three runs in the bottom half of the third. Crockett and Larquier led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After a popup, first-year shortstop Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md./La Plata) singled to first base. Maryland threw to third base on the play after Larquier took a big turn around second base. The ensuing throw to second to get Larquier sailed into right field for an error and allowed all three runners to score on the play to give UVa a 4-3 lead. The Terps came back to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh. Cardoza singled, but was forced out at second on Tweedy’s fielder’s choice grounder on a nice fielding play by Larquier. Keri Lounge then hit a two-out single to move Tweedy to second base. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Tweedy scored on Nikki Smith’s single through the right side of the infield.
Third-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 four runs (two earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Crews (5-8) took the loss for Maryland. She allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks.