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March 5, 2006

Box Score

MARIETTA, Ga. – The University of Virginia softball fell to NC State 8-7 in the semifinals of the Buzz Classic Sunday (Mar. 5) at the Al Bishop Softball Complex. The Wolfpack scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out the victory. UVa concludes the tournament with a 5-2 record and now stands at 11-4 on the season. NC State improves to 15-6 and advanced to play host Georgia Tech in the championship game.

NC State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on Miranda Ervin’s solo home run to left field. The Cavaliers came back to score four runs in the top of the third for a 4-1 lead. Fourth-year right fielder Jackie Greer (Portage, Mich.) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on fourth-year third baseman Sara Larquier’s (Burbank, Calif.) single to right field. Fourth-year center fielder Jessica Taylor’s (Philadelphia, Pa.) infield single loaded the bases. Greer and Larquier scored when third-year first baseman Brooke Sorber’s (Alexandria, Va.) groundball was misplayed by NC State’s third baseman. Third-year catcher Amy McKean (Kent, Wash.) brought Taylor home with a sacrifice fly to left field. Third-year designated player Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) made it 4-1 with a RBI single through the right side of the infield that scored Sorber. Third-year second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz.) then hit a double to left center, but Salmiery was thrown out at the plate.

UVa added to more runs in the fourth inning to increase its lead to 6-1. Fourth-year left fielder Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla.) reached on an error to start the inning and then stole second base. Horn scored on second-year shortstop Lindsey Preuss’ (La Plata, Md.) double to left center. Preuss moved to third on a groundout and scored on Larquier’s groundout to make the score 6-1. Lisa Nentwig made it 6-2 with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth. Miranda Ervin closed the gap to 6-5 with a three-run homer in the fifth, her second home run of the game. The Wolfpack tied the game at 6-6 with a bases loaded walk to Shaina Ervin in the sixth.

In the seventh inning, Virginia regained the lead, 7-6. With two outs, Taylor drew a walk and advanced to second on second-year first baseman Whitney Holstun’s (Escondido, Calif.) single to shortstop. McKean delivered the go-head run with a double to left field that plated Taylor. NC State came back with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to capture the victory. A walk, a throwing error, and a single loaded the bases for the Wolfpack with no outs. Shana Smith drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 7-7. After striking out, Abbie Sims reached first base on the throwing error by McKean, which allowed the winning run to score from third base.

Horn, who moved to the circle in the sixth, took the loss and falls to 3-2 on the season. Horn allowed two unearned runs in one-third of an inning. She walked three and stuck out two. First-year Madi Gore (Acworth, Ga.) started and went 5.1 innings. She gave up six runs on six hits with six walks and one strikeout. Shaina Ervin picked up the victory with four innings of relief work. Ervin (3-0) gave up one run on two hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Megan Dalthorp pitched the first three innings and allowed six runs (two earned) on seven hits with one walk.

McKean and Crockett both registered a pair of hits for the Cavaliers and McKean drove in two runs.

Virginia returns to action on Tuesday (Mar. 7) when in competes in the Fullerton Round Robin in Fullerton, Calif. UVa plays Loyola-Chicago at 5:00 p.m. and Cal-State Fullerton at 9:00 p.m.

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