Virginia Softball Continues Early Season Schedule With Panera Bread Challenge

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Feb. 23, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia softball team travels to Chattanooga, Tenn., this weekend to compete in The Panera Bread Challenge Feb. 24-26, at Tennessee-Chattanooga. The Cavaliers, who stand at 2-0 on the season, play six of the other seven teams in the three-day tournament. Virginia is 22-9 all-time vs. its six opponents in the Panera Bread Challenge. All six of Virginia’s games this weekend can be viewed via Gametracker on virginiasports.com

UVa opens the tournament on Friday (Feb. 24) by playing Miami-Ohio at 10:00 a.m. and closes out its first day of the tourney with a 12:15 p.m. game against Bowling Green. The Cavaliers lead the all-time series against Miami 7-3 and Bowling Green 10-2. Miami is currently 6-3 on the season, while Bowling Green opens its 2006 season this weekend.

Virginia continues play in the tournament on Saturday (Feb. 25) with games against Alabama-Birmingham and host Chattanooga at 10:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., respectively. UVa has never played UAB in softball and leads Chattanooga 2-1. The Mocs won last season’s meeting 11-0 in the 2005 Frost Classic in Chattanooga. UAB is 2-0 this season and Chattanooga is 0-2 prior to playing a doubleheader against Lincoln Memorial Thursday.

The Cavaliers close out the tournament with two more early games on Sunday (Feb. 26). At 9:00 a.m., UVa plays East Tennessee State, and at 11:15 a.m., Virginia takes on Maine. Virginia lost to East Tennessee State 3-1 last season in the first ever meeting between the two teams. UVa leads the all-time series vs. Maine 3-2. ETSU is 1-5 thus far in 2006, while Maine is playing its first games of the 2006 season this weekend.

UVa opened the 2006 season on Feb. 17 with victories over Gardner-Webb (2-0) and Akron (4-2) in the Triangle Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C.