Virginia Softball Drops Pair Of Games At Panera Bread Challenge
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Feb. 24, 2006
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The University of Virginia softball team lost its first two games of the Panera Bread Challenge Friday (Feb. 24) at Frost Stadium. The Cavaliers dropped a 9-7 decision to Miami-Ohio and then fell to Bowling Green 3-0. With the two losses, UVa falls to 2-2 on the season.
In the 9-7 loss to Miami-Ohio (7-3), the Redhawks used five hits and a pair of walks to score six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Miami added another run on Bianca Paz’s fielder’s choice to right field to take a 7-0 lead. Breanna Robinson hit a two-run double and Christine Bills added a two-run single.
The Cavaliers battled back with five unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning. Fourth-year left fielder Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla.) reached base on a throwing error by Miami’s shortstop to lead off the inning. Second-year shortstop Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md.) followed with an infield single. Second-year third baseman Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) brought Horn home with a single to left field and she moved second on the throw home. With two outs, fourth-year second baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif.) delivered a two-run single up the middle to plate Preuss and Holstun. Third-year first baseman Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.) moved Larquier to third with a double down the third base line. A walk to third-year designated player Amy McKean (Kent, Wash.) loaded the bases and third-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) came through in the clutch with a two-run single to right field to make the score 7-5.
The Redhawks came right back and added two runs in the fifth inning to take a 9-5 lead. Jamie Arundel had a RBI single and Christine drove in another run with a double. UVa got both runs back in the seventh on McKean’s two-run homer to left that also scored fourth-year center fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.). Taylor led off the inning with a double to center field.
Third-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) took the loss in the circle to fall to 1-1 on the season. She gave up six runs on four hits with two walks in two-thirds of an inning. First-year Madi Gore (Acworth, Ga.) pitched four innings in relief of Tolar and gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits. She struck out three and walked one. Horn threw the final inning 1.2 innings and struck out three of the five batters she faced in her first pitching appearance of the season. Courtney Salmon (4-2) registered the win in the circle for Miami. She pitched 6.1 innings and gave up two runs on five hits with two walks and 12 strikeouts. Melissa Kail pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed five unearned runs on four hits.
UVa fell behind Bowling Green 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Gina Rango hit a RBI double that scored Jeanine Baca. The Falcons increased their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when Dawnjene DeLong doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Baca’s groundout. Bowling Green (1-0) added another run in the sixth on Rango’s solo home run to left field.
Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) took the loss in the circle to fall to 0-1 on the season. In five innings, Wilburn gave up three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts. Tolar pitched the final two innings and allowed two hits while striking out three. Liz Vrabel tossed a two-hit shutout for Bowling Green. She struck out 13 while walking three.
UVa continues play in the Panera Bread Challenge Saturday with a 10:00 a.m. game against Alabama-Birmingham and a 12:15 p.m. game vs. host Chattanooga.